Re: Life in a fantasy world
by ReviewR524
Summary: In a world where magic flourished, in a place where all sorts of races can be seen, there existed a fantasy world. This world gave birth to Natsuki Subaru, a man who's destined to eradicate the world of its sins, a man who knows no bounds, a man who's destined to die and die again until his role is fulfilled. A story in which Subaru was born in the world of re-zero... (Hiatus)
1. Arc 1: Prologue

_**Upload date: 5/14/2018 [M/D/Y]**_

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 1: Fated Encounter**_

Prologue: A past that's never to change

* * *

 _ **Warning: This fanfiction spoils Rezero past the anime, so if you're either waiting for season 2 (whenever the hell that's coming out), or are planning on reading the web novel/light novel, then I'd advise doing that first if you don't want spoilers.**_

My name is Natsuki Subaru. No one special, just your average traveling passerby, I don't have any specific job, but I can survive on my own, that much, I'm sure of. There's a past that I don't really like recalling, but it's a past that I hold deep in my heart, not because I cherish it, the opposite in fact. I keep it close so that I don't forget about what happened, so that I don't forget what I had promised to myself. What is it exactly, you ask? Well then, why don't I tell you about it…

.

[Eight years ago]

I was around the age of twelve, a family of three, me, my mom, and my dad, in a village near the east part of Kararagi. Things were going well for me, for us I guess, we had a pretty friendly community, but we're not too fond of the outside world, not that we despise it or anything, it's just that our views on the so-called 'calamity' that happened four hundred years ago were a tad bit different than the others.

You see, we are what were what remains of the Witch of Pride's followers, well we were less of followers and more of apostles or supporters, the witch herself was only a little girl after all. I've heard of other 'tribes' scattered around the world, there were ones for Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Gluttony, Lust, and the most known of all of them, Envy.

Now, the tribe that supports Envy would be better known as, "The Witch's Cult", or that's what the outside world calls them. You see, before, our tribes or communities would pay visits to one another, Envy's group being the most active out of the seven, but then something happened a hundred years ago, around after the Elior Forest was frozen over, the supposed home base for Envy and Sloth's group. Envy's group started to disappear and people from the other six tribes reportedly went missing as well.

The chief of our community, which was my grandfather at the time, had a blessing called the "Divine Protection of Calamity Foresight" which was a power that let him see in the near future, and as the name suggests, only works when a calamity was to happen. So one day, he decided to migrate to another area, though many protested, we ended up doing it, and what do you know, the day after we left, the whole village was destroyed, if we left just a day later, I doubt any of us would survive.

We stayed in our new village for roughly around two years, I'd turn fourteen at the time and had earned myself the title of 'Heir'. But after that fateful night, the night where I learned to hate, to despise, and to kill, that was the night where my life, which was for the first fourteen years, very peaceful.

"Naoko, get Subaru and take the 'box' somewhere safe, if we fail to protect either…"  
"No! I'm not leaving you!"

"We have no choice! If either gets taken, our lives, everything in this world would be meaningless!"  
"But!"  
"No, there's no time, just go and do it!"

It was the night when our village got burned, the night where it got slaughtered, the night where my whole world was painted red, that was the past I hated, but kept remembering till this day.

"M-Mom! Where are we going, what about dad!"  
"Your dad is strong, he can take care of himself, just please follow me!"

Exactly two years after the day we moved, also known as my birthday, the village was attacked, my Grandfather had already passed away so we had no clue that such a thing would happen, regardless, my dad and most of the villagers stayed to fight while my mom took me away with a mysterious box in her hand.

We ran through the forests and plains on her Riger, her name Lyra. Shortening the distance quite quickly, we then went to a halt, there was a hut on the side of a river, though it was a bit large to be called one. She hopped off her Riger and ushered me into the hut, inside was a door that lead to a stairway down, she told me there was a tunnel there and that I had to take it to the other side and wait for her there. She gave me a sac of what seemed to be coins, and she wrapped the mysterious box onto my neck, like a necklace.

"Where are you going?"  
"I'm going to check on your father, Subaru, listen to me, whatever you, never give this box to anyway, you can open it if you want, you can use it as a ball and kick it all you want, just, no matter what, don't give it to anyone, this is something special…"  
"O… Okay…"

Before she could say anything else, we heard a loud explosion come from behind the forest and my mom sprang into action, she shoved the door on me and I heard a lock sound, she then shouted, "GO!" and I listened, I opened up the door to the staircase and started to take a few steps, but then I heard my mom scream, a pain-filled scream, a scream I couldn't ignore. Neglecting her orders, I rushed back up the stairs but before I could reach the top, someone blew off the door, in came two hooded men, daggers on their blood-covered hands. Behind them, I could see my mom, bloodied on the floor, struggling to get up, I tried to call her name but the hooded men started coming for me, I was enraptured in fear so I could do nothing, I just closed my eyes and suddenly heard my mom's voice.

"DON'T TOUCH MY SON!"

A sharp whistle in the air and the two hooded men stopped in their tracks, I looked up and there was a line of light that kind of choked them on the throat, I looked over to where my mom was, her on her knees, grabbing the two with her magic light streak of sorts, she looks to me and says, "Remember that we always loved you Subaru, now please… go…"

Before I could say another word, Lyra, who was on the ground just a second ago, leaped over and grabbed me by the collar. She skillfully threw me on her back and dashed straight for the staircase, I could hear the hooded men scream in utter pain but it was all washed up by a sudden, "AL-JIWALD!" and the whole world went white.

At that time I had lost consciousness but it already knew what had happened, mom had already died, dad probably died too, the whole village was probably died, only I and Lyra was left.

"Me…"

I heard a voice call in my head, my eyes were closed, I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't feel anything, I could only hear the voice, it was a soothing yet ominous voice, a withered voice that tried to talk through sand as it fell from one's hands.

"Kill me…"

The voice said, all I could do was listen, I couldn't reply, I felt my mouth refusing to move, my whole body refused to move, it was as if I was stuck between the realm of consciousness and unconsciousness, the voice being the only thing keeping me company.

"Please, kill me…"

Before I knew it, I had woken up from the bizarre dream, I was going crazy for sure, was that mom talking to me? Dad? Maybe I was just imagining things, that's what I thought at first, and that's what I thought after.

I looked around and saw that I was in an unfamiliar place, probably still in the forest, just a place I've never ventured to. Lyra was a sit next to me, licking her paw, only now noticing that I was awake. She walked up to me and shot a face that screamed, "Are you okay?"

"Mom… and Dad… everyone is dead aren't they…" I whisper to myself, Lyra only lowered her head down, understanding how painful it was for me right now, she closed in on me and I lunged onto her, crying, non-stop, it was the only thing I could do and it was natural, I was now alone in this world, well, except for Lyra I guess, she was with me.

.

After spending the whole night sleeping next to Lyra, I set out the next morning to return back to my village. Luckily, Lyra knew the way and was able to lead me there quite easily, and when I reached there, I was right, nothing is left, every single building burnt down to ashes, all the corpses charred black like coal, daggers littered everywhere.

I already knew who was responsible for this, my grandfather had told me about the dagger. It was seen whenever someone went missing, he described it as, "The sign of a future you have to fight" I never really understood that part, but I'd come to understand what he'd been explaining to me as I went on with life. The one thing that I did understand was that the daggers were weapons used by the Witch's Cult or Envy's group which is what I like to call it.

"I'll kill them all" is what I swore on that day, every last one of those cultists, none of them will be let to live, but that would have to wait for another time, a time when I'm ready to face them, a time that's a decade in the future, in other words, the present time.

"Yo, Kadomon! One appa!"

After Three years of endless traveling, I had made my way to Lugnica, and around that time, was the time Lyra had passed away, Riger's don't have an amazing lifespan, and she was already on the verge of hers when she helped me run away that time, so it's understandable, but it still stung of course.

"Nii-chan, your back already?! Here ya go"

 _[Nii-chan, in this context means bro]_

I tossed Kadomon, a green-haired merchant I'm very familiar with, five copper coins, "Keep the change!" I yelled, and so I was on my way, seeking vengeance while trying to survive in this harsh world, that's my circumstances anyway. But after a fateful encounter, it all changed…

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Alrighty then, a new day a new story is what I say, this ain't gonna go for long, gonna end at Arc 3 so it's a little time pass to stall Warlock a bit so things could catch up…**

 **So basically this is Arc 1 - 3 with Subaru being born in the Rezero verse instead of plain old earth, this does mean that many things, most notably the way he calls people and reacts to situations will be different. If he gets OOC, it's natural, but if it gets too much do tell me in a review, so, yeah now's the time for...**

 **Character sheet anyone?**

 **1.)Natsuki Kenichi**

 **Age:- 32 (Deceased)**  
 **Likes:- Mayo, Messing with Subaru, Wrestling**  
 **Dislikes:- Peas**

 **Magic:- Wind and Yin**  
 **Weapon of choice:- Broadsword**

 **2.)Natsuki Naoko**

 **Age:- 29 (Deceased)**  
 **Likes:- Mayo, Sewing, Watering the garden**  
 **Dislikes:- Peas**

 **Magic:- Water and Yang**  
 **Weapon of choice:- Light whips**

 **3.)Natsuki Subaru**

 **Age:- 20 (Alive)**  
 **Likes:- Mayo, Reading books, Sewing, Practicing magic**  
 **Dislikes:- Peas, Witch cultists, Prejudice**

 **Magic:- Yin**  
 **Weapon of choice:- Daggers and Knives**  
 **Authority:- Timelapse & Return by Death**


	2. Arc 1: Chapter 1

_**Upload date: 5/15/2018 [M/D/Y]**_

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 1: Fated Encounter**_

 **Chapter 1: The Crossing of Two Paths**

* * *

Another day, another walk by the capital. I bit into my appa and scanned the area, nothing much, just the usually bustling city known as the "Capital". It's been three years since I've first made it to Lugnica, and I've had my handful of hardships. Right after Lyra had passed, I had gone through some minor depression, the people I was with just took advantage of that, pieces of shits are what they were.

I had kept the promise I made eight years ago, "Never give the box to anyone" was the promise, and to this day, no one has ever laid a hand on it, well, that's because I destroyed it of course. It was closed really tightly so opening it wasn't an option, I tried prying it open with a knife but that only lead to me cutting my arm really bad, so I decided to destroy it via an explosion which worked, but things went downhill fast. And just so you know, this was right after I reached Lugnica, so it was three years ago.

Once the box open, some black cloud came out of it and forced its way into my mouth, really, the worst experience I've ever had. Right after that, I felt my insides rumbling, as if trying to fight whatever went inside and the black cloud seemed to have won. I laid there unconscious for around a few hours and woke up, feeling a little light headed, but fine nonetheless, I took what remained of the box and left the area, little did I know, that very moment changed me.

Several days later, I got into some trouble, had to deal with a bunch of guards that told me what I did was an act of treason, seriously, the nerve of them, the looks on their faces, weren't even serious, just abusing the power they had. Normally I'd have escaped with magic, but something wasn't right, I had a blessing known as, "Divine Protection of Yin" which was a blessing that made me extremely skilled in Yin magic. Back when I trained with mom, I'd have already reached an Al-class after a year, but suddenly, my skill dropped so low that I could barely cast an El-class spell, that's when I realized I had lost my blessing and had gained something else.

I was beaten up pretty bad, like, really bad. I felt as if I wanted to die right there, but then, something inside me ticked, I felt the wounds disappear, the lost mana inside me replenished, I was back on my feet in an instant, this was the on of the powers I've gained through the "Sage's Box", the ability to reverse time on a body, putting in its original state, location, and condition, with that power, I was able to mess up the guards pretty well and managed to flee away, I called the power, "Timelapse".

But that was just one of the powers I had gained, there was another, one I'd like to call, "Return by Death". I had first used it when I temporarily joined a mercenary group to do a job for some money, and during the job, I had died. Right after though, I was miraculously back to before I left, my body was fine, no wounds or anything, but I vividly remembered what had happened, that is my second power, and a godforsaken one I'd like to add.

Using them, I was able to escape life or death situations with ease, but I had to keep my use of Return by Death to a minimum, it turns out a stench known as a "Witch Miasma" gets released whenever I use it, overuse of Timelapse also releases Witch Miasma but not as much as Return by Death. The problem with this was, whenever you mention "Witch Miasma" people instantly think of the Jealous witch, which kinda annoys the hell out of me, but that lead me to figure out that what I gained was most definitely the "Witch genes of Pride", something that makes one a Witch, in my case, Pride.

"I never thought I'd actually be the one to inherit the title as Pride…"

I threw away the core of my appa and turned a corner, took out a sac of coins and counted how much I had, "Five… Three… Seven… totals up to… Nine silvers and Forty-six coppers, running short, gonna have to do another job to get more…" I pass by an alleyway, one I usually walk through to get to the capital's job center.

"Hey that's the punk isn't it?"  
"Yeah, let's get em while he's turned his back!"

I was a bit too busy, thinking about my current financial circumstances to notice that three thugs were coming up behind me. As I was about to make a turn, one of them grabbed me by the neck locked my hands behind my back and slammed me into the wall, pinning me there. "We'll be taking your stuff so just stay there and be a good boy," One of them said. I looked to my side and saw that he was a large man, a shorter boy behind him and a slim one crouched on the ground, taking what was inside the sac I dropped.

"You messed with the wro-"  
"Quiet, we've been watching you, you get real rowdy when you're ganged up on so stay put"

"Woah, this is a real haul, guys! More than Five silvers in here!"  
"Grab em all, grab em!"

As the slim man hoarded my sac of coins, I waited for my moment, I couldn't beat the big one in terms of strength, and using my authority would cause them to run off, making it a huge pain in the ass, so I'll just wait for an opening and strike then.

"Get out of the way, ya rats!"

I heard a voice say, a girl's, and a young one to be exact, this could be my chance, if I myself wasn't distracted that is. From the entrance of the hallway, a blonde haired girl ran through, completely ignoring the four of us. She jumped onto the wall, kicked off, landed on my shoulder, and hopped off onto the top of a building.

"Well, you're a rude one…" I said. The other three looked confused but went back to their pillaging right after. The slim one found the sage's box that I had kept in there and it gave me just the moment I was looking for. He didn't dare touch it, looked all gooey and messy, something reminiscent of solid waste from someone's ass. Big one looked his way, and I was just about to twist my body for a kick in the nuts, if it weren't for another goddamn distraction.

"I'm in a hurry, but this isn't something I can dismiss"

Another voice and a girl's as well, but it was different, this one sounded more mature and definitely not squeaky. I looked over and saw that it was a silver haired girl with purple eyes, I sighed in frustration and yelled, "Can't you see someone's trying to escape here! Give me a break would you!" to nobody in particular but the girl seemed to take the response as an 'I need help' which may be what it seemed but is the opposite.

"Puck"  
"Here I come!"

Suddenly, a small gray cat appeared on her shoulder and shot them a paw, icicles started forming around the two and were aimed at the three thugs, "Oh shit a spirit-arts user!?" shouted the short one, "It's not worth it!". The three then started to scramble away, leaving me and my sac of coins behind.

I righted myself, dusted off my clothes, and picked up my sac of coins, looking at the sage's box, then putting it back in. I looked over to my two 'saviors' and I said, "Thanks but I didn't really need any help" The cat floated over to me and said, "Well you're a rude one…". I shot him an annoying look to which he replied with a "What"

"Nothing… just a bit of De'javu is all…"

I closed my sack of coins and rested it on my belt, and faced the silver haired girl, "Well, since you've saved me, I guess I owe you one now, need help with anything?" I said with a straight face.

"Well, I had something from me stolen and I was just chasing the thief, I was wondering if you had happened to see her pass by?"  
"Short, blonde hair, really quick and likes to step on people while they're pinned to the wall?"  
"Uh… all but the last one…"  
"Then she jumped over there"

I said while pointing to the building which she jumped on to run away, "Okay, thank you" as she was about to leave, I asked her out of curiosity, "By the way, what did she take from you?" "What did she take? Well, it's a Royal's Insignia, shaped like an upside down triangle with a red jewel in the middle, about this big"

She used her hands to shape it and I used my imagination to fill in the gaps, seems like something really important, "A Royal's Insignia huh… Wait, hold on... A **Royal's** Insignia!?"

"Yes, that's what I said, a Royal's Insignia…"  
"You lost something that important?! Why'd you even bring it with you in the first place!"  
"It couldn't be helped, I forgot it was in my pocket when I left the mansion"  
"You forgot!?"

This girl, careless is written all over her face, having a connection to this person would be one of the least helpful things I need, on the other hand, she did lose a **Royal's** Insignia, means she must be pretty high up there in the nobility, if I was to help her, I'd be pretty well off, "Then there's no choice, want me to help?"

"Huh? But just telling me was more than enough, you don't have to go through all that"  
"No, this thing can determine the next king, there's no choice"  
"Uh… okay then…"

"Hey, there's no hidden meaning in this is there?"  
"Oh, there is, I'm planning on making her indebted to me, kidna in a bad spot myself"  
"Hmm, no shame in saying that huh…"

As I silenced the cat with my finger, I motioned the girl to follow me, "Where are we going, that's just a dead end" Seriously, if she were to go find it alone, she'd probably never find it, "Sometimes you gotta think outside the box" I held her hand and chanted, "El-Murak" I leaped of the ground and straight onto the rooftops with her.

As we landed she looked at me shocked, "That was Yin magic, and an El-class, your pretty good at Magic… you could have fended yourself when those three attacked right?" "And someone had to in and ruin it by saving me herself, thanks for destroying my pride as a warrior…"

"Eh… your welcome?"  
"I was being sarcastic!"

We looked around the rooftops, seems like she has already left and there was no way we could have tracked her so we went back down and searched through the city on ground. Searching high and low, through alleyway and alleyway, we didn't really get a lead on where to find her, so we stopped near a fountain to plan a different approach.

"Hey, we haven't introduced ourselves yet haven't we?"  
"I suppose we haven't…"

"Then… Natsuki Subaru, come from Kararagi but made Lugnica my home, what about you?"  
"Me… my names Satella, I was born here in Lugnica, nice to meet you"  
"And I'm Puck!"

I sighed a bit as I gave her a look, "Not sure if you trust me or you actually want me to misunderstand, but I kinda feel a bit disheartened if I give you my real name and you don't return it with your own…" As I said this, Puck came in and gave me a nudge, "People would normally believe her when she says that, you're different…"

"Huh? Why though?"

The two gave me a dumbfounded look, "Well, I have silver hair and purple eyes, I'm also a half-elf…" "Oh, I see… quick question, what differentiates Elfs from Humans? Physically I mean…" "Ah, you don't know Subaru?!" Puck literally screamed at me, "It's actually common knowledge in Lugnica, but I'm not sure about Kararagi… Elf's have long ears you see, Lia also has long ears, it's from her Elven Lineage"

"I see…"  
"Well… if you don't feel like helping anymore… you... Don't really have to…"  
"Eh? Why would I not help?"  
"But, I'm a half elf, with silver hair and all, doesn't that scare you a bit?"

"Oh… this has to do with the fact that you look like the Jealous witch right?" She just gave me a nod, "Actually, I think we'd get along quite well, and also, I judge people by how they act, not by how others describe them as, so doesn't matter if people say your a witch or if your a thief, as long as I haven't seen anything, none of it matters to me…"

"I see… ah, about getting along well?"

"Ah, yes, your a subject of prejudice I assume, with people associating you with the Witch of Envy right? Well, I'm kinda the same as well…" The two gave me a shocked expression, "Then are you a half elf too?" The girl asked, "No, my comparison to the witch isn't visual like yours but it's more like I smell like her you see…"

"Smell? Oh, you mean Witch Miasma!"  
"Exactly, I've had this smell latched on me for about three years now, it's been causing me nothing but trouble, so I kinda understand what you had to go through, though not at the same extent…"

She took in the information with a determined expression and shot me a smile, "Then my names Emilia, just Emilia, nice to meet you!" she gave me her hand and a took it, we had a good handshake and then we continued onto our search for her Insignia, but we stopped when Emilia saw a girl on the side of the road, alone and scared, pale green hair.

"Hey, Subaru… that girl…"  
"Eh, what… Plum-chan?! Looks like she got lost again…"  
"Do you know her Subaru?"  
"Oh yeah, she's the daughter of a merchant I'm friends with…"

We walked over to her and I greeted her with a smile, "Yo, Plum-chan, is Raksha-san not with you?" Once she saw me, she rushes over and clings to my legs like a scared animal. "So I'm getting that you're lost?" She nods, "You got separated from mommy?" she nods again, "The number of times you get lost… I might just have to give you a map… oh wait, do you know how to read those?" "No…" "Figures…"

"Okay then, what do you think Emilia-san, do we have time?"

"This is more important so we should look for her mother first…"  
"You lost an Insignia, I think that's more important… but it doesn't matter, I know where her dad is, let's go"

I grabbed her hand and we went on our way, retracing our steps back to where we started, also known as Kadomon's store, "Yo, Kadomon!" I said while waving at the green haired merchant, he was looking around, and noticed us, "Oh Nii-chan, I'm kinda busy right now…" "I know, by the way, here's Plum-chan, she was lost again…"

"Oh right… wait, Plum! Ah, thank goodness!"

After realizing Plum was there, he rushed over to hug her, he picked her up and said a few things then faced me and Emilia, "I owe you one, again…" "No problem, maybe you could help us… we're looking for a girl, skinny, blonde hair, red eyes, got one sharp tooth, and she's a thief…"

"A thief huh… that sounds a lot like Felt, she lives over in the slums, you should ask around, you'll probably find her"  
"Alright, thanks"  
"Oh, what do I owe you this time?"  
"Just make sure there are some appas left when if I come back, heh"

"Righ- Not funny Subaru!"

After poking fun at the fact that business isn't going well for Kadomon, we continued on with our search for the girl, now knowing that her name is Felt. "You and Kadomon-san are good friends aren't you Subaru…" "Yeah, I guess… he helped me up to my feet when I first came to Lugnica, and I've been paying visits whenever I come to the Capital"

"I see…"

We made our way through the capital and into the slums, a rundown section of the city, houses were rustic, with the poorer population living inside. No dependable water source, no steady jobs, and most definitely no happiness, "This place is depressing…" the sun was starting to set and Puck was disappearing, "Looks like my time is up Lia…" "Your times up? So you have contracted times"

"Puck can only materialize at around nine in the morning until five in the afternoon"  
"Well, that kinda sucks, what happens if we run across a killer?"  
"I'll leave it to you Subaru…"

"Oi! Don't just leave it to me!"

Before we could continue our banter, the gray cat dissipated into a shower of light that went inside the green crystal in Emilia's neck, "Subaru, wait a second, I'll ask my other contracted spirits, maybe they know where we should go…" "Oh, so Puck's not your only spirit?"

"No, I have contracts with many minor spirits…" As she said this, several lights appeared around her. She closed her eyes and clasped her hand, she was now speaking with them, probably part of the contract, it'd be rude to interrupt so I sat by the wooden bridge and stared into the dirt filled river, it reminded him of his the times he'd play by the river bed with his friends from the village, bittersweet memories.

"Okay, I think I know where to go…"  
"Good…"

We headed over to an old wooden house that seemed to be a bar of sorts, it was already night time. "This place doesn't look like it'll hold on for very long does it… well, usually it'd be lady's first but mind if I come go ahead? And you stay out here, that is"

"Are you sure? It might be a trap…"  
"I have a notorious streak for breaking out of traps so I'll be fine"  
"Okay then…"

From inside my pocket, I spun out a dagger skillfully and opened the door, I closed it behind me in case it was there was indeed a trap. It was dark, I could barely see anything but one thing's for sure, I wasn't alone. "There's definitely blood in here, and it's fresh, whoever that girl was, Felt? Yeah she's probably dead in here, the killer probably stole the Insignia from her and… is right behind me!"

I swung my dagger back and it clashed with, from what I can tell, a curved knife. I heard steps on the wooden board and it seemed like the killer was flipping back, "You must be pretty acrobatic to be able to do somersaults in a closed bar in the dark…" "You must be pretty observant to be able to anticipate my attack in the dark…" A womanly voice, laced with bloodlust replied.

"You seem like a good dance… unlike the other two…"  
"I dislike dancing with a person who has a disadvantage you know…"  
"Whatever do you mean? Will the person waiting outside join you?"

"Of course not, I plan on taking you on my own, but just so you know, I'm pretty skilled when it comes to fighting in the dark. You could say I'm pretty experienced…"

"Ah, but I've already learned the layout of the area, so doesn't that make it even?"

"I guess so!" A rushed forward with my dagger in hand, swing low, expecting her to duck but she saw threw me and leaped up. I could hear her moving on the ceiling like a spider. I heard her fling something at me why so dodged to the side, the sound of wood cutting being stabbed at meant that she had throwing daggers.

"Well, this is going to be a little bit harder than I expected…"  
"My, backing down already?"  
"Not at all…"

"El-Shamak!"

I casted my favorite spell, a spell that shrouds the area in black clouds, once that happens, I get a feel for the environment and the people inside the cloud, so it's basically like night vision, to add to that, anyone inside the cloud gets their senses messed up, but something was off about the spell. I'm sure I had covered the whole room with my spell but I can't seem to locate the killer anywhere, but then I heard a window breaking and instantly dreaded.

After dispersing the black clouds I rushed over to the open door, but as I stepped out, I saw the killer, holding a kukri knife onto Emilia's throat. "Who knew my target was the one outside all along… so, what are you gonna do?" Emilia was trying to force the knife away with her slender hands, but it didn't really work.

"You play dirty don't you…" I say, while giving her a serious look, "I'd do anything to cut out bowels straight from the stomach… to feel the warmth and freshness… it's comforting don't you think?" "More like disturbing actually…" "Well, people have different opinions…"

This was a pretty bad situation, but it wasn't impossible to get out of, "Say, she's your target right? If I let you have her, would you let me go?" As I said this Emilia's eyes widened, and she immediately started struggling, perfect. "Oh… now, this is unexpected, you are a strong opponent, unlike this one here, but… I do hate an unfinished job, so then let's reschedule our dance for later?" "As long as you leave right after your done with the bowel cutting…"

Without even a second to waste, she sliced through Emilia's stomach, blood pouring out endlessly, she struggled to breathe while on the ground but she was able to raise her head and look at me with dumbfounded eyes, eyes I'm quite used to seeing, "I… trusted… you…" Were her last words, before she laid limp on the ground, dead.

"Well, well… now that that's over with, I guess I'll be reporting back to my contractor… until next time dear…"  
"Until next time…"

We exchanged farwells and she left, I quickly went down to check on Emilia, no pulse, cold skin, there is no way she's still alive after that, I flipped her over and saw that the green crystal on her neck had cracked, and behind me, I felt a menacing presence, an ice-cold one to add to that.

"We trusted you… now my daughter is dead… you do know what comes next right?"  
"Man, you overreact too much, well, I guess that's what dads do I guess…"  
"To see you joke at a time like this, you think you can take me on?"

"Your the one joking around, no one I'm taking on a great spirit, I'll just fix her up like this…"

A grabbed onto her hand and said under my breathe, "Authority of Pride - Timelapse" suddenly, as if it happened in a split second, Emilia was on her knees, facing me, wounds gone, heart beating, but eyes closed, the crystal was also fixed, and Puck was no longer behind me.

"Yo, Emilia-san…"  
"AHHH!"

After calling her out lightly, she freaked out, scrambling on the floor, clutching her non-existent wound, crying out in pain when she's not in any. "Ah- W-what? But… I just…" "Don't think too much about it, the thing is, your alive and the killer is gone, nothing to worry about…" "But.. how?"

"Trade secret… now, I gotta check something out so…"  
"That power was an authority wasn't it…"

I heard Puck's menacing voice from the crystal, and sighed and replied to him, "Pretty much, a power handed down to me by my ancestors, if you have knowledge about it, then you must be pretty well informed about what happened a hundred years ago, am I right?"

"I did remember for a split second after my crystal broke, but after you've used your ability, I seem to have forgotten it again…"  
"I see… well then, that's unfortunate, I was thinking I'd talk about it with someone but oh well…"

I walked over back into the house and closed the door, Emilia was still a little shocked about what happened but she'll snap out of it soon enough, not that it matters or anything. "Let another loop… begin…" I plunged the knife into my throat, and right there and then, I died. A failed attempt is a failed attempt, I'll try again, and succeed next time, I'll, Return by Death.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Congrats Cyberix96 for being the first one to follow/ favorite the fanfiction!**

 **Let's get on to business now… Warlock chapter will be next, then another Forgive me, then I'll update this again, then Warlock then this, then Forgive me, something like that…**

 **So we're jumping straight into a fighting scene! And another one in the next chapter as well. I got tired of the same Arc 1, so I changed stuff up in this one, and I must say I like the changes I made!**

 **Character sheet then:**

 **1.)Emilia - Half Elf**

 **Age:- 22 (Alive)  
Likes:- Puck, helping people  
Dislikes:- Hiding her lineage**

 **Magic: Fire and Water  
Weapon of choice: Spirit arts**

 **2.)Puck - Spirit**

 **Age:- At least 100  
Likes:- Emilia, joking around, being fluffy  
Dislikes:- Anyone dissing Emilia**

 **Magic: Fire [He can use others but he specializes in fire]  
Weapon of choice: Ice bolts**

 **3.)Kadomon**

 **Age:- 43 (Alive)  
Likes:- Doing Business, family time, keeping change  
Dislikes:- Broke people**

 **Magic: N/A  
Weapon of choice: N/A**


	3. Arc 1: Chapter 2

_**Upload date: 5/21/2018 [M/D/Y]**_

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 1: Fated Encounter**_

 **Chapter 2: Second time's the charm**

* * *

I opened up my eyes to the everlasting darkness, a pitch black darkness like no other, a place a go to contemplate on what had just happened, "So, there's a murderer waiting for us at that place, and the thief is already dead by then… the earlier we reach there, the better…" As I was deep in thought, a figure appeared in front of me, staring at me with lifeless eyes.

This space is my private space, no one has ever been able to reach here, no one but one person, and that was, "Help..." the Witch of Envy, or Satella as she calls herself. To me she's just a blob of shadow, her real face and body were being held back by the witch genes fighting for control, so I never got to see how she really looked like.

"So… do you have something I can actually use this time?"

She'd only appear a few times whenever I return by death, I assume it's because of the witch genes of envy's interference. The most she could handle is a few words before vanishing into the darkness, I felt very pitiful but I just couldn't feel it in myself to feel pity for her, rather, I might have lost that part of me when I ran away eight years ago, or maybe I just couldn't feel pity for something that looks like a shadow mixed with pudding.

"You know… I met a half-elf today…"

I said while fiddling with the sage's box in my hand, just then, she frantically tried to reach me, though it was futile, "Just say what you need to say already…" I got up and walked over to her, "She had silver hair and purple eyes, she says she resembles you a lot, so yeah…"

"...her…"  
"What was that?"

"Protect her…"

She said with a struggling voice, "And what's in it for me if I protect her?" I said as lackluster as ever, "Witch… cult is finding her…" She replied, but she then vanished instantly. My mouth twisted into a frown as I got back up on my feet, putting my sage's box into its sack, and whispered, "Say no more…"

* * *

Light flooded my eyes and I was shown Emilia's radiant smile once more, she had her hand out for that handshake. A blinked a few times before accepting it, "Hey, Emilia-san… I think I have an idea on where the thief went…" "Really? Where?" I pocketed both my hands and flicked my head, signaling her to follow me.

We headed past the bustling city, past a few guard stations, and into the slums of the Capital. "Subaru… are you sure this is the way?" "I've never been surer of something my whole life…" We passed through the wooden bridge, over the mucky waters, and stopped right in front of the old wooden bar.

"Is this the place?"  
"This is the place…"

In front of us was an old rusted wooden door, not sure how those two words fit together but let's let it be. At times like this, one would just barge in and ask everyone to freeze or something like that, the door was unlocked, but I have my manners and I'm still waiting for a person to arrive.

"Knock, knock?"

I said while banging on the door. I heard heavy footsteps, a big man most likely. Some rustling chains and a then it stopped, "For the rats?" A deep voice asked. A riddle, are you serious? And an easy one to add to that, "Poison…" taken straight from the book, damn, no wonder these guys died back there. "For the whale?" "A fuckin harpoon"

"To the dragon we are?"  
"Complete and utter shitbags am I right?"

Some floorboards squeaking and the door opened, revealing a rather large man, oh wait, it's a giant. White fur on his chest, wearing some torn pants and an open air vest, long eyebrows, seems to be around his mid hundreds or so. "Oh, never seen you younglings before, Felt's gotta stop telling people the password…" "Not that it'd be hard to find out anyway," I say with an indifferently.

"Okay, if you return the-"  
"Woah, hold it Emilia-san, that's not how you do things…"  
"Eh? Really, then…"  
"Come on, get in, hey old man, is Felt in yet?"

"Felt's not here yet, she'll be back in a few though… so what can I get you?"

He goes over to the back of the counter and puts out two empty glasses, I grabbed one for myself and slid the other for Emilia, "I'll have your weakest alcohol please" "Then… I'll just have water…" He took out a barrel and turned on the tap, he did his thing and I got my drink, he cracked open a bottle of water and poured in a glass for Emilia, we then drank. "You a light drinker… eh?"

"Subaru… and no, there's just something coming up, and it needs my full attention… you are?"  
"Names, Rom…"

"Right… this is Emilia, she the one who has business with Felt…"  
"So you're accompanying her?"  
"Kinda… got business of my own here…"

As I finished my drink, a tossed Rom a bronze, he took it happily. The door suddenly opened, and guess who came in? "Yo, Felt…" The blonde haired, red eyed, petite girl from earlier came in wearing a cheeky smile, holding something in her hand, "Yo, hey Rom-ji, you can- W-wait, why are you here!"

Seems she just noticed me, "Think you got the wrong person…" I pointed over to Emilia. She jerked to her head to face Emilia, "Why are **you** here! Why did you let them in Rom-ji!?" "Eh? I thought they were the ones you were doing business with?"

"No! I told you I'd ask them the questions! And they weren't supposed to be here till 6!"  
"Well, that's what you get for using the most common riddles in the world…"

"The most common you say? Hmm, guess I'll change it"

The giant said, almost not caring about the fact that he let in a bunch of strangers. Just then, Emilia stood up, pointing at Felt, Puck came out as well, "Okay, you are to return the Insignia right now! I'll let you off the hook if you do… please…" "That last part totally blew you off you know… anyway, sit down…" I stood up and forced her down on her seat, I then faced Felt who turned away and made a run for the door. "H-Hey, Subaru, she's!"

"You'll never catch me!"  
"I've cast a spell on the bar, no one can leave without my consent…"

As she opened the door, she was blasted back and conveniently landed on a chair. I sat on the chair opposite and looked at her, "Why don't we make a deal, we'll buy the Insignia back from you? Don't really wanna mess up some broke kid" "Hey, don't call me that!"

"Don't call you 'Broke' or 'Kid'?"  
"Urgh, both!"

"Anyway, how does that sound, Emilia-san?"  
"Oh that's okay, as long as I get the Insignia back, I'm fine it's just I don't have any money on me right now, so negotiations won't be possible in my end…"  
"God… is that Insignia even yours? Nevermind, here, this is as much as I have right now..."

I tossed out my sack, and emptied it, "What's that box?" "No, everything but the box…" I quickly retrieved the box and hid it in my coat, "This is something that I hold in the highest regards, don't even think about taking it…" "If it's that important to you then it's gotta have a high value am I right?" She shoots me a greedy smile.

"Actually, if you sold this to anyone else, I'm pretty sure the most you'll get is half a bronze coin…"  
"Gah, that bad! Fine then… about ten Silvers?"

"That's all I have now, don't think of me as someone poor you hear…" She shot me an annoyed look, "Hmph… that's actually a lot…" She said in a low voice, enough for me to hear her, "A-Anyway, there's already someone coming over to take this if you want it your gonna have to wait and see what they're willing to pay"

"Fine by me, I'm waiting for that person too you see…"

I walked over to counter and waved at Rom, "One more please…" "Coming up…" He got to work and I sat down with my head on the table. I let out a long sigh, "Hmm… what do I do, Ram is probably waiting for me in the carriage, I hope I don't make it back late…" "You're worried about that? Seriously you've got to work with your priorities a bit…"

"Hey you, how'd you know I'd be here and why are you helping that girl, are you her knight in shining armor or something?"  
"I have a name you know… and no, I'm not her knight, I'm helping her because **you** stepped on me back in the alleyway!"

"Geez… I was in a rush, you'd do the same if you were in my situation"

"No, I wouldn't choose to go through an alleyway in the first place…"

We went on with our light bickering for a while, that was until I felt a disturbance in the barrier I made, "Haah… okay, looks like it's my turn to do business…" I got up from the seat and did a few stretches, the four in the room looked at me, a bit confused, "Eh, Subaru…" That was until I took out two daggers from my belt and spun them around my arm.

"Woah, nice knives you got there…"  
"Thanks, I've been taking good care of them"  
"Subaru, what are those for…"

Emilia asked me with a pretty scared voice, Puck starting to get on the defensive, to which I reply, "It's for the business I was talking about…" "But didn't you say we were going to negotiate with her?" I walked forward to where the interference was and got ready, "Negotiating was what you said, Emilia-san, I said we'd buy the Insignia from her, if she's not willing to sell it, then my plans already failed, times already out anyway…"

"Hey, I never said I wou-"  
"Felt, the person who hired you, a tall woman with a large chest right?"  
"R-Right… what about it?"

"She's going to kill you all in the next few seconds… brace yourselves, PUCK!"

The next second, a section of the wall broke open and just who do you think came out, "Welcome, bitch!" she threw a kukri knife at Emilia, but Puck was able to shield her with an ice barrier. I rushed forward and tried to jab at her side while she was still in the air, but she had a second kukri knife ready and parried my strike, going over me and landing square on the ground.

"My, my, you are an observant one…"  
"You can say I had some future knowledge…"

The other three, Puck excluded, looked at us shocked, what was once a friendly atmosphere turned tense and deadly. The woman licked her lips and started running for me, swinging her single kukri knife at me. I ducked down low and did a quick punch to her gut, swept her legs, and grabbed her hands, effectively pinning her to the ground.

"So harsh… you do realize I'm a lady don't you?"  
"I don't discriminate between gender so sorry about that…"

I twisted her arm so that it bent in an awkward way, to my surprise she did giggle, "Haah… I may have underestimated you, dear…" "It seems you have… and please don't call me dear, it's really creepy…" I held her down forcefully, not intending her to make any moves, but despite my efforts she was able to jab me in the chest, she probably had to dislocate her shoulder to do that. She pushed me to the side and quite literally stabbed her kukri knife at my face, the blade dug deep into my skin, pretty sure fracture my facial bones there.

"An opening!"

Rom shouted, and he rushed over with a club on his hands. He swung it at her but due to his slow speed, she was able to easily dodge it. The giant swung again and again, but he kept missing, just then, she was able to land on top of him, aiming a strike for his head, a strike that would instantly kill. "I've had fun… but I got bored…"

"Rom-ji!"  
"I won't let you!"

Puck and Emilia fired off several ice spears at her, it hit the kukri knife but didn't stop it. The knife impaled him on his shoulders, and he was down, "ROM-JI!" Just then, Felt rushed in, she was fast, so fast that my eyes could barely keep up. She unsheathed her knife on her belt and circled around Elsa. She stopped and dashed straight for her, but she just moved to the side and kicked her off.

"Puck, I need to help Subaru"  
"You got it Lia"

Puck took the lead, firing off several more ice spears which she sidestepped out of the way, "I do wonder how a spirits insides look like… I might be able to find out today…" "I really doubt it, lady, though I can say I'm interested in what your insides look like too… just yours though…" She let out a girly chuckle, "Looks like we have the same tastes…" She flung her knife at Puck but he easily deflected it with an ice barrier.

Meanwhile, Emilia was trying to find me, but she I was long gone, I had already activated Timelapse and had hidden in the shadows, though, Emilia nor the others know that "Puck! I can't find Subaru!" "I'm right here Emilia-san!" Using my two daggers, I stabbed into her back, puncturing one or two vital organs. I then kicked her off but she spun in the air and easily got back on her feet, "Hahaha! Yes, I knew you were a great dance partner!"

She rushed over to me once more, her arm, which I'm pretty sure I dislocated, was surprisingly back in its position, "So are you some kind of killer that can use healing magic or something?" I said while dodging her strikes, "Oh this" Our blades clashed, small sparks flying out, I twisted my body and shoved her off of me, "That's just how I normally work…" She tried to lunge for me but Emilia and Puck interfered with a few ice spears.

As her attention was taken away, I hurried over to Rom and Felt, "Can you fix him! Please!" "Yeah, yeah, but listen, I need you to run out and call for help, this woman's crazy and it's gonna take a while if me and Emilia-san are the only ones fighting, go to a guard station or something, tell them a killer is in this house and if they don't listen to you… don't come back here"

"But"  
"Just go!"

I gave her a pat and showed her to the door, she opened it and ran for her life. A kukri blade went for me but I blocked it with both my daggers, she looked through the window and saw Felt escaping, "Oh, you let one of your dance partners go" "Oh, not for long" She threw one of her kukri knives through the window, intending to stab her before she goes any further, though the knife just bounced back and stabbed her right in the arm, "Sorry but nothing leaves without my permission"

"Really, you surprise me every time…"

It seems she has let Felt go, for now, her attention was now fully on the three of us. "Now, Emilia-san, Puck, shall we continue to dance with our guest?" "Subaru, this isn't the time to joke around," she said while firing off more ice spears at the killer, "Come on, you can at least enjoy the dance," she said to us as she dodges the ice spears.

"Well, I sure am having fun, Puck on my mark okay?"  
"You got it Subaru!"

I rushed forward and threw my daggers straight for her, she went between them and tried to slice at me, but she has already fallen into my trap, "El-Shamak!" A black cloud engulfs the both of us leaving the other two untouched, that was the signal for Puck to fire "Here you go!" A barrage of icicles was thrown straight into the cloud, hitting everything and anything inside it, "Puck! Subaru is still in there!" Emilia scolded him, but before she knew it, I was already beside her, "I'm right here, Emilia-san…"

"S-Subaru! Geez, don't scare me like that!"  
"Yeah, sorry about that…"

I made the black clouds dissipate and there on the floor lied a bloodied woman, ice spears stabbed all over her body, she struggled to get up, but it seems like she was still alive somewhat. "Your pretty persistent, that was an attack from a great spirit, I applaud you," Puck said while yawning.

"Hah… may I have your name?" She asked me. For some reason, I felt good about it, I'm pretty sure I shouldn't but it shows me she respects me as a power, so as a fellow fighter, I'm obliged to tell her, "Natsuki Subaru… Lone traveler…"

"Elsa Greinhart… Bowel hunter… let's dance sometime again…"

"Doubt that'll ever happen," I said. She then closed her eyes and dropped dead, no way she'd be alive, not with those wounds pouring gallons of blood out. "Haaah… okay Subaru, my times up, I'll leave the rest to you…" "You got it Puck" he disappeared into light particles and went into Emilia's crystal necklace but not before giving me a high five. The two of us rushed over to Rom, Emilia started to heal him.

"Well that went better than I thought, no one died…"  
"Subaru, you could have died you know!"  
"Nah, I doubt I'd die so easily"  
"Ugh, you worried me you know!"

As we continued our bickering, the sunset and it was night time already, time flies when you're in near-death situations right? I stood up and walked to the wall where I threw my daggers. They were stuck to it so I had a hard time trying to pry them loose, but I was able to do it.

But as I turned back to Emilia, I saw Elsa, she was already up and was about to throw her kukri knife straight at her, "Emilia watch out!" My warning made it to her too late though, she was only able to move her body a few inches away, making the kukri knife strike her legs instead of her back, the damage wasn't as fatal but it was still bad.

I activated Timelapse and was already beside Elsa, I kicked her sides and she flew off to the wall, but she landed on her feet. She looked over to me with a lewd smile, "Let's dance some more…" "Creep…" Her wounds were already nonexistent, the holes Puck bored were already gone, "Or would vampire be a more accurate description?"

"Well… I don't really hate the sun and onions don't really bother me… though I do like seeing bloodied bowels if that counts…"  
"More than enough actually… Emilia-san, heal yourself up, I'll hold her off…"

She nodded and went to it right away, I faced Elsa again and whispered, "Time for round three…" We both went forward, our blades clashing, yet again, she circled around me and stabbed me in the waist, I held her hand there and used my other hand to grab her head, then I brought it down for smashing her face to my knee, then I activated Timelapse once again, getting back to my position beside Emilia, both my daggers in hand, and the wound gone.

Elsa stumbled in her steps as she looked at me with bloodlust, "Such a professional dancer!" She jumped into the air with one leg, using the other one to kick her knife which she threw up moments prior. The knife went straight for Emilia, I wasn't the best at hitting flying objects so I stretched out my hands, "Murak!" The knife started to go up and luckily missed Emilia's head by a strand of hair, though she was a little bit too busy to notice that.

"Haah… I'm really glad I met you…"  
"I don't think I can say the same…"

Just then, I felt the barrier around the bar getting interfered with again, someone was on top of the house it was back up, I hope. I backed off from Elsa and sided with Emilia, sitting on the ground, "Giving up already are we?" "No, this is no longer my fight…" Then, the ceiling came crashing down in an instant, dust quickly filling the room.

"And backup is here baby!"

From the debri, a fiery haired man came into view, his clothes were those of a royal guard off-duty, and a sword sheathed on his waist, but it wasn't any sword it was, "Dragon sword?! Who knew the sword saint would come in to save the day!" "Well… I just happened to be passing by and that little girl asked for help" He pointed to Felt who was peeking from the side of a wooden beam.

"Hah, still, didn't know the great Reinhard van Astrea would just be casually walking around the slums"  
"It was thanks to the barrier around this bar, the odd magic just caught my interest is all"  
"Ah, I see… so it was partly me… well then Reinhard, this is your opponent, Elsa Greinhart, please be don't be nice to her"

Reinhard then looked over to Elsa, her smile only getting bigger by the second, "Elsa Greinhart… the infamous bowel hunter of the north they say… for your crimes, I will end you here and now, I hope you are ready…" "Well… I was having so much fun, is it really okay for me to have even more fun now?" I'm taking it that she's ready.

"Come, bring forth that sword… one that has only slain the worthy…"  
"No, I'm afraid that's not possible, the dragon sword would only be wielded against foes it deems worthy…"

I took from the ground, a rusted sword, "Yo, Sword saint, catch!" I threw it over to Reinhard and he caught it. He then examined it and nodded, "This will do… uh…" "Natsuki Subaru, call me Subaru"

"Alright then Subaru, I shall end it here and now…"

Elsa dashed forward and stuck Reinhard several times which he blocked with the rusted sword, I watched as sparks flew off their blades, the moonlit battle was definitely one graceful dance one can say. "Oh, Emilia-san, I have bandages, let me help…" From my belt's single pocket, I took out a bandage roll and helped fix up her leg, "Thanks Subaru, I still need to heal up Rom…" she said while finishing up her own wounds.

While she was busy with Rom, I glimpsed back into the battle between the sword saint and bowel hunter. It was a one-sided battle and it seems like Reinhard wasn't even trying all that hard, just taking a few steps and lightly swinging his sword, while Elsa, on the other hand, is jumping around making spinning slashes that have no effect on him, it's so one-sided it almost hurts to watch.

"Subaru, I'm finished with the healing…"  
"Reinhard! Mana's all yours bud!"

"Thanks for that Subaru…" Reinhard planted his feet into the ground and raised his sword in a very mainstream swordsman's pose, "I shall show you the power of sword saint, bowel hunter" "Yes show me!" As Elsa lunged forward, the rusted sword glew a bright blue, and the next moment, it was an explosion.

"Kah! Pwah, dust everywhere…" It seems the whole bar was torn down, I was surprised it made it this far though, "Well, that's the sword saint for you… but still, it was some power you showed her, doubt she's gonna survive that…" "I appreciate the compliment…"

I got up and looked all over, the place was in ruins, no way it's getting back from this state, kinda feel bad for Rom now. "Now that that's over with-" a pile of wood burst into the air and Elsa could be seen diving down, aiming a strike for Emilia, "Don't think so…" I threw one of my daggers at her which prompted her to dodge and kick away from her trajectory. She landed on a wooden beam and stared at the two of us. "Keep your bowels fresh… I'll have them next time…"

"Sorry but bookings closed past sunset, please wait tomorrow to make a reservation"

She giggled in delight and ran off into the darkness. I helped Emilia up and we checked on Rom, Felt coming along too.

"Rom-ji…"  
"He'll be fine for now… is he your family?"  
"Kinda… he's like a grandfather to me…"  
"I see…"  
"Oh yeah, here, I guess I owe you one… just be sure not to lose it so easily"

"Of all the people, we're hearing that from you…"  
"Ya got a problem with that?"  
"Oh yeah, I do!"

I gave her a flick to the forehead, "What was that for!" "That was for stepping on me in that alleyway, you should learn to respect your elders… no, that'd make me sound like gramps over here, learned respect people older than you!" "I'm eighteen you know!"

"Well, I'm twenty!"  
"So what? Your still a kid!"  
"Excuse me!? Emilia-san I think is it me or does she make no sense?"  
"I think it's her Subaru…"

After all that banter, Felt handed over the Insignia to Emilia, it was just as I imagined, a bluish purple circular-triangle pendant with a golden dragon imprinted on it, a red glowing jewel was set in the middle, "Ah, thanks…" Reinhard had a look at the Insignia, and once he did he grabbed Felt's hand, "This can't be…" "H-Hey…"

"Excuse me, what's your name? Age? Where do you live?"  
"Ugh… Um, Felt, I'm 18 and I live here in the slums… ouch, that hurts!"  
"Sorry Subaru, Emilia… but you don't mind if I take her do you?"

"Nope, I'm still kinda mad at her for stepping on me"  
"You're still on that!?"

"Then, I must go immediately, here, your Insignia…"

He handed over the Insignia to Emilia and left quickly, so quick that I couldn't see where he went. Now all that's left was me Emilia and Old man Rom, "Well then… guess that's a days work done, we did it!" "Yeah, thanks a lot, I don't think I could've done it myself…"

"No problem, anyway… I guess we'll leave a note for Rom here, tell him Felt's been taken by Reinhard or something, more importantly, can you walk? Your legs still seem to be bleeding out of the bandage a little…"

"Of course I'll be-"  
"That's a no, alright I'll help you out…"

She put her arm around my shoulder and I lifted her up to her feet, "So, we going to see this Ram person you were talking about?" "Ah yes, she should be waiting near the gate, I told her to stay there in case we got separated" So we had our directions, now all we had to do was make it there in the shortest amount of time, "Well then, let's not waste any time moping around now…"

.

We through the now quite Capital, activity had dropped by a fraction of what it was in the morning, which was good, the streets weren't packed so it was easy to find our way. In no time, we've reached the gate, a Pink haired maid looking around worried. Once she spotted us, she immediately rushed over, "Emilia-sama, are you alright!?" "Ah, It's okay Ram, just a little bruise on my leg, we can return to the mansion now, also, I'd like to bring a guest…" Ram looked over to me and bowed, "Of course, Emilia-sama…"

She went over to the carriage and opened up the door, letting the two of us in, she herself then went on to the driver's seat, and we were off, another successful loop beaten, it seems I've been getting better and better at this lately, oh well, time to relax and enjoy what happens next. I closed my eyes and fell asleep…

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Carlos2013-duran** **  
** _ **I hope that Subaru stays with Rem**_

 **You're gonna have to be more specific bud, by stay with Rem, do you mean stay with her in the capital or something like that? Cause he's going to be leaving her behind in all that action almost all the time.**

 **Tales from Puck** **  
** _ **Subaru's ego made me cringe  
I don't know where you're going with this story but it's well written  
I think Subaru's going to find what he's looking for in Arc 5**_

 **That's what I was aiming for**

 **Well thank you very much**

 **If we ever get there then yeah, that's gonna be him going 'Now's the time to get revenge'**

 **Basscus** **  
** _ **Your not the only one who liked the changes**_

 **Good to hear!**

 **.**

 **Character sheet!**

 **1.)Old man Rom**

 **Age: Mid hundreds  
Likes: Alcohol, Felt  
Dislikes: War torn times**

 **Magic: N/A  
Weapon of choice: Club**

 **2.)Felt**

 **Age: 18 (supposed)  
Likes: Rom, money, stealing  
Dislikes: Being called broke, being called a kid**

 **Magic: N/A  
Weapon of choice: One-handed knife**

 **3.)Elsa Greinhart**

 **Age: Mid-twenties  
Likes: Bowels, fighting to the death  
Dislikes: Pests that interfere during battle**

 **Magic: N/A  
Weapon of choice: Northern kukri knives**

 **4.) Reinhard van Astrea**

 **Age: Mid-twenties  
Likes: Unknown  
Dislikes: Disappointing people**

 **Magic: Swords art  
Weapon of choice: Any weapon  
Dragon sword (special case)**

 **.**

 **Well guys, next is the next chapter for Forgive me, back into the white whale battle! Let's gooo!  
Got called by the cops just this night, twas nerve-racking, apparently some guy saw me walking around town in a weird way and thought of I was sneaking around, so he got the fu***** cops involved and I lost all that valuable exercise time talking to officers!**


	4. Arc 1: Interlude 1

**Upload date: 6/1/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 1: Fated Encounter**_

 **Interlude 1: The Carriage to the Mansion**

* * *

I waited anxiously for Emilia-sama's return, it has been hours past the promised time we'd meet up. I looked around frantically but she was nowhere to be seen, I gave a worried sigh, "I should have taken more care in escorting her…" Then suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of her unmistakable silver hair, I turned around and I saw her, being helped by a man I'm unfamiliar with. I rushed over to her side, "Emilia-sama! Are you alright?" I asked worriedly.

"Ah, it's okay Ram, just a little bruise on my leg. We can return to the mansion now, also, I'd like to bring a guest with me…" She pointed over to the man beside her. He wore Orange-black clothing that highly resembles something from the Kararagi city-state but had some touches I'm familiar with. He had a belt unevenly strapped around his waist, a sac in one end with sheathed daggers in the other, blood seems to be leaking out of it, most likely from a recent battle. He had sharp, evil-looking hazel eyes and messy black hair, his overall appearance seemed to be of a wandering mercenary and his aura was intimidating.

"Of course, Emilia-sama" I bowed to him and showed the two into the carriage, I then hopped into the driver's seat and we were off.

The evening was silent. There was only peace and tranquility as we traversed through the Lifaus Highway, Fluge's tree could be seen standing not so far in the distance. Light glowed from the carriages insides, must be Emilia-sama conversing with her spirits. I saw her head peek out from the side of the carriage and so I decided to start up a conversation.

"Emilia-sama, may I ask what happened while we were in the Capital?"  
"Ah, well, someone stole my Insignia so I had to go and retrieve it, that's when I came across Subaru, he agreed to help me find it, but once we retrieved it, we were attacked by a gut hunter, Elsa Greinhart I think her name was. We were done for if it weren't Subaru and the sword saint, I really should repay him somehow"

The rest of our ride was uneventful, our guest had woken up once we've reached the Irlham village, he took a look outside before going back in the carriage. We reached the mansion gates and entered the front yard, in front of the mansion, Rem was there waiting for us.

"Welcome back, Emilia-sama, Nee-sama…"

She bowed to us as I opened the carriage doors, Emilia-sama and our guest stepped out of the carriage. "This is Rem, my little sister and a maid in this mansion, Rem, this man is a guest tonight, please treat him with utmost respect" Rem bowed to him and replied, "As you wish, Nee-sama…" She then went over to move the ground dragon to the stables.

I showed the two into the mansion, our guest looking around in awe. "Emilia-san, is this your mansion?" He asked, "Ah, no, this isn't my mansion Subaru, I'm only staying here, this is Roswaal's mansion…" "Roswaal… as in the Margrave? So Emilia-san has connections with that guy… you must be pretty important then"

As our guest was looking around, Emilia-sama came to me and told me, "Ram, please show Subaru to a room, I'm sure he's tired and would like to rest" "Yes, Emilia-sama…" I went over to our guest and bowed to him, "Dear guest, allow me to show you to your room…" He nodded and followed me.

We went through to the east wing, down the long hallway. I opened up one of the doors and showed him inside. The room was fairly large, two big windows in the side, a desk along with a chair, and a queen size bed with a canopy at the top and curtains going down. Beside the door was a straw basket, "If you need any clothes washed, please put them in this basket, we shall wash them and return them to your room shortly after…" "Hmm… well, that's helpful…"

He put down his sack onto the desk, it hit with a thump and a rattle on the desk, the sac was filled with coins and something else. He took off the belt containing his weaponry and placed it inside one of the drawers. "Dear guest, if you wish to take a bath, the bathing room is right around the corner… towels are provided inside" "Okay thanks a lot… guess I'll be taking that bath…"

He said while taking the straw basket with him and leaving the room. I followed him out and accompanied him to the bathing room, then we went our own ways. I went down to the storage closet to retrieve a spare broom when I met Rem in the hallway, she seemed a little concerned. "Rem, what's wrong?" "Nee-sama… our guest has an awful smell that makes me worry…"

Our guest had come in from a blood filled fight, he was sweating all over, so it would be natural for him to smell bad, but the smell Rem worried about was something more potent, it was "Witch miasma?" I asked, she nodded back to me. "Nee-sama… what should we do?" "All we can do is wait for Roswaal-sama to return, we are not allowed to take action without his consent… make sure to keep an eye on Emilia-sama, if he is targeting anyone, Emilia-sama would be the most likely target…" She nodded and went off, back to her duties.

I grabbed the broom I was looking for and left as well, going back to our guest's room. He was still in his bath, I made sure of it with my Clairvoyance. I entered his room, and quickly went for the sac on his desk, I opened it and looked at its contents, "Silver coins… a burnt box… and... a rather large dagger…" Adorned with purple linings, it was colored a dark gray and a deep black. It had an odd curved shape, with a slight hook-like end. This was a dagger made to cut deep into the skin, already, this man seemed dangerous.

After a bit I had finished cleaning the room, not that it needed much cleaning in the first place. I opened the door and left, our guest had just finished his bath and was going back into his room, the straw basket in his hand, it being filled with his bloodied clothes. I took it from him and was about to turn back that's when, "What do you want, I suppose?" I heard Beatrice-sama's voice.

I rushed over back to see it and my suspicion was right, the door which our guest had opened went straight into Beatrice-sama's library, "Hmm… shouldn't I be asking that to you? Since your kinda in my room and all…" "Hmph, how annoying, I suppose…" She got up and closed the door herself. Our guest opened it again and she was gone.

"That was Beatrice-sama… what you saw was her gate crossing, she is the keeper of the library in this mansion…"  
"Hmm, she's a spirit isn't she?"  
"Yes, dear guest… she is a great spirit to be exact"  
"I've heard about a spirit that protects over forbidden knowledge… hey Ram, tell me, is this house somehow connected to the Witch of Greed?"

I was silent for a bit, mostly because of the absurdity of the question, "No… this house is in no way connected to the Witch of Greed…" "Considering you answered my question, that means you know of the Witch of Greed, yes?" I fell silent once again, should I confess? I heard that the Witch cult would stop at nothing to obliterate the evidence of other witches, "Yes… but I have only heard of her, and her existence, nothing more…"

"Well that's a shame, I expect your master might know more about it… Is it okay to request his time once he returns?"  
"Of Course, dear guest…"  
"Right, then I'm off to bed"

I bowed once more as he entered his room, he closed the door and I heard a click sound, telling me that the door was locked. I went back to my duties, now with things to worry about, "His knowledge of Beatrice-sama and the Witch of Greed is suspicious… I should take caution when dealing with him…"

The night went on, and then, morning came to rise, another day has begun.

* * *

A/N

Okay, not much to say, short Interlude, not a chapter with plot, just a filler type thing. Warlock is next, unless I do a spur of the moment, writing of the next chapter for this story…

 **Tales from Puck**

 _ **Oooo, Here comes My Beako. And, it would be awesome to see a certain someone get beaten down in the next arc. I love an underdog that kicks demonic ass.  
And I'm not talking about the witch beats either.**_

Well, then you're in for some butt kicking, knife holding, edgelord action my friend.

 **JiroAwesome**

 _ **Hmmm, since the witch Miasma is more potent I wonder how Subaru will deal with Rem and vice-versa… anyways can't wait for next chapter!**_

Things will get violent and edgy. Expect next chapter to be up later next week.

 **ChristianRed**

 _ **Nice chapter, hoping for this to be a Ram x Subaru.**_

Don't get your hopes too high up, you never know where this is going.

.

Been practicing my art skills so I can illustrate Subaru's new attire, the image in my head is probably different from yours.  
Five days to two weeks, maybe even quicker if I study harder...


	5. Arc 2: Chapter 1

**Upload date: 6/3/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 2: An Everlasting Week**_

 **Chapter 1: The Jester, The Maids, and The King**

* * *

Awakening to the sound of the morning birds chirping, I forced myself off the bed while rubbing the drowsiness out of my eyes. It's been a while since I've overslept, this bed did a good job in putting me to sleep, "Haah, when was the last time I've slept so soundly… been a while if I remember"

I checked on my sack to see if anything was gone, and fortunately nothing was missing.

I walked over to the door, opened it, and looked around, only to see that no one was in the hallway. In front of me though, was the straw basket I handed over to Ram last night, and my clothes were there, clean, stitched up, and smells nice too. "Well, I'll be… I could get used to this…"

I brought the straw basket with me and headed straight for the bathing room. Just as I was about to open the door, Rem came out of the room, looking a little bit shocked. We both stayed like that for a little while, "Uh… good morning, Rem was it?" She shook her head, breaking off her trance, "Ah, Guest-sama, Rem was just cleaning the Bathing room, you may use it now…" She said while sprinting off into the corner.

A weird reaction, either she's shy or she's being wary, extremely wary, either way, I have to be careful how I interact with her. "Now that I was close… she does have a small bit of Witch Miasma on her, maybe Ram has too… that's bad news for me… wait, maybe it's because of my eyes, man why do have to be so scary mom..." I brushed off the thought for later as I entered the bathing room.

The bath was already filled and steaming, just how I like it. I took off the bathing robe I had on, hung it on a hanger, and went in, letting the hot water shake my body awake, "Yeah… I can really get used to this…" As I let my mind drift off, I felt the strangest feeling, like I was being watched. A fly was hovering around me, I waved my hand at it but it won't leave, "Can't believe I'm being self-conscious in front of a fly…" I swatted the fly away, and went back to enjoying my bath, that was only short-lived, "Okay, I'm bored now…"

I got out of the bath and wiped myself down with a towel. I wore my black top and gray pants, leaving my patterned lower robe and orange-lined jacket off. "Time to start another day…" I got out of the bathing room and traversed the hallway to my room, but when I open the door, I'm shown a library, a little girl with blonde twin drills sitting on a stool across me.

"Good morning… and why are you here again?"

She looked over at me, narrowing her eyes, as if she's doing a scan or something. Then she looked at me straight in the eye. I felt a little uncomfortable, it felt like she wanted me to say something, but then she spoke, "Good morning, close the door, I suppose" After saying this, she went back to reading the book in her lap.

"Right…" On her request, I closed the door again, scratching the back of my head, "That was weird… what are the chances of it happening twice in a row…" I opened the door again, and what do you know, "..." "..." She was there again, looking at me with a blank face. I swear, she wants me to say something, but what should I say?

"This is really annoying, I suppose…"  
"Tell me about it…"

I closed the door once more and then opened it again, finally got my room right. "Guess we've got a good start… I hope" I sighed as I went in a put my robe and jacket on the chair. I went over to the window and looked outside, a bright day, maybe around nine in the morning or so, "Puck should be up I guess…" I looked around further and saw Emilia sitting down by the gazebo, and Puck was there.

"Well, guess I'll talk a bit"

From the drawer, I took out my belt and brought over my sac. After snapping everything around my waist, I went out of my room, across the hallway, and down the stairs. The mansion doors were pretty big, unnecessarily big to be exact, I pushed them open and the morning breeze greeted me.

"This is the calm before the storm isn't it…"  
"Ah, Subaru, good morning, did you sleep well"

I looked to my side and there was Emilia walking towards me with a light purple dress, "Hey Emilia-san, yeah, I slept pretty well… though, I'm afraid I might slack off too much, the bed was just too soft" We laughed a bit as we walked around the front lawn. "So Emilia-san, I'm taking that your legs all better right?"

"Ah, yeah, it healed overnight" Proving her point, she leaned on the leg and hopped around for a bit, "Good as new"

We walked around for a bit until we reached an area that peaked my interest, "Is that a wooden dummy? And a target?" Across the lawn, I saw them in a shed that was open, Emilia caught sight of it and told me, "Yeah, I heard that it's used during combat training back when Rem and Ram were first in service"

"I see… hey, you reckon they won't mind if I used some targets do you?"  
"Of course not, at least, I don't think they would…"  
"Good enough for me!"

I ran over to the shed and took one of the targets, it seemed old yet sturdy and strong. I placed it a far distance away and went back to Emilia, "Time for target practice…" I brought out one of my daggers, startling Emilia a little as I had it pointed her way for a brief second, "Careful Subaru, your throw might go off course…"

"I'm pretty confident with my throwing skills, Emilia-san…"

I readied my dagger and did a curved throw up the air, it spun and hit the second ring, "Hah, got it, not a bullseye though…" I took out another dagger, and aimed more carefully this time. I threw the dagger once more, this time, it hit in between the second ring and the bullseye, "Just missed it…" I said with a sigh.

I walked over to the target to retrieve my daggers, Emilia following behind me, "Subaru, you're pretty good at this…" "Yeah, I had to deal with a lot of trouble back when I was in Kararagi, kinda picked up a few things from a friend before I came to Lugnica…" I yanked my daggers out and put them back in their respective sheaths, then proceeded to put the target back in the shed.

"Ah, that's right, I didn't get to thank you properly for helping me early Subaru, once Roswaal returns, I'll make sure to pay you back"  
"Hehe… your thanks are appreciated Emilia-san… beats having to look around for a low paying job again"

"This was what you were aiming for, right Subaru?" Said Puck, who just now decided to join us, "Well good morning there, sleep well?" "I was awake before you, you know? Anyway, Lia is serious about repaying you, so what might you want?" A good question, a person's life is basically priceless so the amount of things I can ask for is quite a lot, though I the sword saint did show up in the last minute to save our butts, so I can't take all the credit.

"If you ask Lia for anything Indecent, you'll have to answer to me!" Puck said with a joking, yet fearsome tone, "Hey, I said we'd get along, but not that far…" Emilia turned to us with a curious look, she must be pretty dense to not know what we were talking about, "Emilia-san is gonna have a rough time with her love-life isn't she…"

"Though it will be inevitable, I still wish for Lia to be as Pure as can be…"  
"Eh, what are you guys talking about? Come on tell me!"

A complete blockhead, no wonder Felt was able to take the Insignia away from her so easily. We denied her access to the harsh reality that awaits her innocent mind, despite her ongoing pestering. "Hmph, Subaru and Puck, your so mean…" "What are you a ten-year-old? Haha…"

After we were done with our little banter, the two maids, Ram and Rem, came over to us, "Dear guest, Emilia-sama, Roswaal-sama has returned and wishes for your presence in breakfast…" We nodded to them and followed them inside the mansion.

* * *

They opened the doors to the dining room, and I entered first. I wasn't surprised, it was as large as I thought it was, "A dining room fit for the noblest of nobles…" I turned to my left and surprise, surprise, "It's the little spirit…" Beatrice, I recall her name was, she was staring at me again, is she trying to kill me with that stare or what? "Hello...?"

She won't reply, she kept on staring back at me, that's until Emilia came into the room, "Oh Subaru, you've already met Beatrice?" "Yeah, but she keeps on giving me this look…" She turned her gaze over to Emilia, then onto Puck, then, "Bubby!" I complete change of attitude, she jumped over to the gray cat and landed perfectly on the ground, "Hey Bubby, can we play today! You promised!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll spend time with you today, as promised…"

"Talk about a moody attitude…"  
"Ah~ it seems Beatrice has come to~ join us for breakfast…"

A voice came from behind, the ends of his words seemed to be dragged along in a rhythmic way, as if he was trying to sing a song. I turned around and to my astonishment, I was met with a man in a jester outfit, adorned with makeup, a purple streak going across one of his eyes, one being blue, the other yellow.

"I heard that the Margrave had a few quirks but this is a bit much…"  
"Well~ I guess you can say that…"

He showed me a brilliant smile, one could almost mistake him for an actual jester if they just met him, "Guess everyone's got their own opinions on things, I've sure learned that these few days…" I say while taking my seat, everyone else taking theirs, except for the maids who stood by Roswaal's side.

The food was already in the table, and by god it looks good, smells good as well. I took a decent amount in my plate, not to look rude, "This is pretty good… a solid second place in the best dishes I've had… not that I had many" Roswaal gave me a grin, "Our food is prepared by our dearest Rem, it's hard to find anything any better than this"

"No matter what you say, my mom's cooking is number one in my list… though, this is pretty close"  
"Your mother must be quite the chef…"

We went on with our food, only, I couldn't help but glance over to Beatrice at times, she wasn't really eating, mostly feeding Puck some soup. She then caught onto my gaze and stared back. The others then noticed our little staring contest and chuckled a bit. "It seems Beatrice has taken a liking to you… Subaru-kun"

"Don't make such unjustified claims, I suppose! And why are you staring at Betty, I suppose!"  
"You've been staring at me ever since the first time I saw you in that teleporting library, so I thought it'd only be fair for me to stare at you…"

Silence dominated the room for a while, the only sound was the sound of Puck scratching his fur, completely oblivious to the current situation, as I was about to say something she spoke up, "Your eyes bother Betty, I suppose… like knives being pointed straight at me" She said in a harsh tone. I could do nothing but facepalm myself, "So it was my eyes all along… seriously you can just tell me if it was bothering you…"

"Hmph, I suppose, let's go to my room, Bubby!"

She got off her chair and left abruptly, closing the door behind her. We all went back to our breakfast and finished quickly. Roswaal then put his hands on the table and stood up, "So~ Subaru-kun, as thanks for saving Emilia-sama, you~ can ask for anything you want, land, money, power? I shall grant it to you…"

"Hmm… that's a lot of things I could ask for…"  
"That's only natural, Emilia-sama is a running candidate for the next king of Lugnica…"  
"Really now, is that what the Insignia was for?"

"Ah, I forgot I wanted to tell you that Subaru, but yes, the Insignia qualifies me as a candidate"

I nodded my head in approval, but not surprise. I've seen too many things recently to be surprised right now, "Well then, if I'm being asked to name my needs… then for now, how about you hire me as a servant in this mansion?" "Eh, don't you think you should be a little bit more ambitious with your request, Subaru? Are you sure there isn't anything else you want?"

"Well, I didn't do too much, not compared to the sword saint who should up to clean things up, and I can't just ask for money straight up, it feels undignified, I'd rather work to get my earnings… and besides, I get to sleep, bathe, eat here, I'm not really that keen on my standards…"

"Okay, if you say so…"

Emilia turned her head over to Roswaal, so did I and he nodded, "Then it's decided... until you make your next request, you shall be working in this mansion as a servant starting from tomorrow" "Fine with me…" Breakfast was dismissed and we all went our separate ways, except for me and Ram, I suppose. She was to show me around the place in preparation for my job that starts tomorrow.

We started off from the outside. She showed me around the gate, the locations of various barrier stones and the back doors of the mansion. Then we went inside, she showed me around the east wing, which housed all the luxury rooms, the bathing rooms, the recreational rooms and such. We then went to the west wing, where most of the service facilities are, kitchen, servant bedrooms, storage closets and more.

Next up we came to a room entirely made of wardrobes, Rem seemed to be waiting for us inside, "We shall be taking measurements for your uniform Barusu" "Already changing your attitude, huh?" I walked over and spread my arms out. Rem came over with measuring tape and noted down my lengths.

The two of them then took a good look at me, "What are you staring at?" "His eyes are scary, shoulders seem a bit okay, but his hair is messy… Subaru-kun, you'll have to fix up your appearance, we don't want people to think badly of Roswaal-sama because of sloppy appearance…"

"I see… guess a haircut isn't so bad once in a while…"

Ram then continued the tour of the mansion, showing me to Roswaal's office, then to the lounge where Emilia was, reading a book, "Subaru, how's the tour going?" "Doing fine, wish I brought a note with me though, this place is big…" I say while looking around the lounge.

"You'll get used to the layout, Barusu"

We went on, Emilia now joining us, "Next is the grand hall, which is located he-" As Ram opened the door, we were once again met with a row of books, the smell of paper, and the sounds of a little spirit playing with a cat. We stared at each other for a few seconds before Ram closed the door, opening it again to see the designated hall we were looking for.

"Do these things happen often?"  
"No actually, Beatrice usually keeps to herself, especially when she's with Puck…"

"Weird…" I muttered as I entered the room, large and spacious, seats adorned with white cloth, and an altar at the end of the hall, ready to host any kind of ceremony, "Pretty neat room…"

We continued on, she showed us to an attic, the stables, the shed where the targets and wooden dummies were stored, and she showed us an armory, not that anyone would be using it any time soon.

"That concludes our tour, for today, you shall be staying in the guest's room, but as of tomorrow, your room will be positioned in the servant's section, Barusu"

"Roger that… well then, that took- my goodness the sun's already setting!" A short day it was, seems the mansion tour took far longer than I thought it took. I went back to my room after borrowing a pencil and a few pieces of paper from Rem, I drew out the basic layout of the mansion, labeled all the exits and entrances, the major rooms and such, after all that was done, I practiced my housekeeping skills, first rampaging around my room to dirty it up, then took my time to fix everything up.

It was a long process and before I knew it, night was already here. The room was in good condition, not the best condition, but pretty decent, "Now then, I'm gonna be waking up early in the morning so better get to bed quick… gonna take a bath first…" I hurried out my room and closed the door.

Heading straight for the bath, I opened up the door, took off my clothes and went for the bath, and surprise, surprise, "Roswaal… didn't expect you to be in here…" The man previously in a jester suit was now soaking up in the bath in front of me, smiling while he's at it, "You don't mind if I come in do you?"

"Of course~ not, Subaru-kun, do come in..." He said welcomingly, and so I did. Dipping my foot into the hot water, I entered the bath while letting out a relaxed sigh. "So~ Are you enjoying your stay in my mansion? Subaru-kun~" "Yeah, been a while since I've been to such a fancy place… though, I might it's a bit too much for just your little group don't you think?"

"Well~ I do suppose it is a tad bit large, but we don't plan on staying here for too long… the main mansion has more servants in it so it won't seem so silent over there… of course you'll be coming with us until you make your next request…"

"Then, mind if I take it now?"  
"Of course, though, I do wish you wouldn't be too bold with your wishes…"

He said while giving me a cheeky grin, "Heh, a funny guy you are Roswaal… anyway, my second request… is a question, are you somehow connected to the Witch of Greed in any way?" Having said this, he gave me a face of astonishment, and then a sarcastic smile, was that a bad idea?

"There aren't many who know of the other witches, let alone speak of them… What might you want with this connection, may I ask"  
"Let's cut it clear, my name is Natsuki Subaru, heir of the village that followed Witch of Pride, Typhon… or what is left of it…"

Silence dominated the room for a little while, and then Roswaal started chuckling, "My~ and here I thought I was in trouble, well then, my~ name is Roswaal L Mathers, twelfth representative of the~ village that followed the Witch of Greed, Echidna, and a descendant of the first Roswaal, Roswaal A~ Mathers, who was a representative himself… This is quite the change of events now isn't it Subaru-kun…"

"Tell me about it, kinda noticed when I saw Beatrice and her library, that must be the…"  
"Forbidden archive that houses all of Echidna's lost knowledge, Beatrice is there to guard the knowledge from those unworthy…"

We went back into our bath for a while, the both of us not having anything to say anymore, "Then, are you the only one remaining from your village?" Roswaal put his hand on his chin and got into a thinking position, "Well~ I can say the village is still intact… but the Witch of Greed has long~ been something of the past, so you~ could say I'm the last surviving follower…"

"I see…"  
"What about you, Subaru-kun~?"  
"Me… well, you know what happened a hundred years ago yeah?"  
"Ah… you must~ be talking about the rouge clan, that evolved into the now present, Witch Cult…"

"From~ what my forefathers were able to find, it seems most, if not all of the other villages have been destroyed, and eight or so years ago, I've gotten to know that Pride's village has fallen… I'm joyed~ to see that their only remaining survivor and heir, is right in front of me…"

"Hm, good to see that there's someone else I can talk about this stuff with, everyone else either calls me crazy or don't believe me at all"

"Well~ our little community is sort of a closed secret, after all, the amount of people who~ don't know is just too large to convince, and so, we've been shunned off by them as crazed lunatics… ah~ how harsh the world can be… So~ Subaru-kun, as the heir you do have **it** don't you?"

"Sure do, but… due to some unforeseen circumstances, it's currently inside of me as of now…" I say while putting a hand on my chest, "What about yours Roswaal?"

"Unfortunately, Greed's genes have been stolen shortly after Echidna's death… some say it's because of a failure to seal them within the sage box or that it was directly taken away once it left her body… either way, I'm not in possession of both, the witch genes, or my sages box, sadly…"

"Hmm… then that means someone out there is in possession of it… Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, Capella Emerada Lugnica, Regulus Corneas… and many other unnamed ones, cardinals of the Witch's cult, one of them must have it…"

Silence once more as we both dumped out basically all we had to say for the moment. I then noticed how long I've been in the bath, "Shit, been here too long, won't be able to walk up properly tomorrow…" "Then~ I'll be seeing you, Subaru-kun… hope you have a good working day tomorrow…"

I toweled myself down and went back to my room with a bathrobe. I opened up the closet and saw that there was a pair sleepwear inside, and they were just my size too. I put them on and turned off the magic lamps. I slept soundly that night, so soundly that I was afraid I was dead, but it woke up all fine the next morning...

* * *

A/N

Messed up the last chapter's upload date (Supposed to be second June), but I'm too lazy to change it so yeah… Reviews are replied to and are highly appreciated, thanks!  
I wonder why Re Fantasy is the only story were I can binge write half of it in one go...

 **If I Could Be  
** _ **I Wonder if Subaru would tell Roswaal and co. about his connections to the Witch of Pride…**_

If you want people to trust you, you're gonna have to sacrifice some personal information, at least that's my way of doing it… or maybe there's another way to do it...

 **Christian Red  
** _ **Nice chapter, can't wait for more. Wonder if Rem will be able to kill Subaru**_

We're just gonna have to wait and see now, won't we… Rem better not underestimate the heir of Pride

 **Tales from Puck  
** _ **Things are moving along quite well, this Subaru's got connections**_

Oh, he's got connections alright, and killer moves too… soon he'll have enemies, partners, and many more…

.

 **Rooooll the, Character sheet, please!**

 **1.) Roswaal L Mathers**

 **Age: Around 30 or so  
Likes: Jester outfit and clown makeup  
Dislikes: Unknown**

 **Magic: All Six  
Weapon of choice: Black gloves**

 **2.) Rem**

 **Age:21  
Likes: Ram, doing housework  
Dislikes: Witch cultists, mayo**

 **Magic: Water  
Weapon of choice: Morning star**

 **3.) Ram**

 **Age: 21  
Likes: Rem, Roswaal  
Dislikes: Slackers, Witch cultists**

 **Magic: Wind  
Weapon of choice: Ornate wand**

 **4.) Beatrice**

 **Age: Around 12 according to her appearance  
Likes: Puck, Mayo  
Dislikes: Nuisances**

 **Magic: Multiple but main is Yin  
Weapon of choice: N/A**


	6. Arc 2: Chapter 2

**Uploading date: 6/3/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 2: An Everlasting Week**_

 **Chapter 2: Start of the butler days**

* * *

The day started off with an early refresher of the schedule in the employees break room. It was around twice the size of a regular bedroom and had a lot of chairs, coffee tables and sofas despite there only being three of us, as of now that is. I leaned against the wall with my Butler uniform while Ram got a long list of chores ready.

"First off, what are you able to do, Barusu?"  
"Well, the basic things, cooking, cleaning, running errands, sewing, except for hedges, can't do those…"

"Okay then, Rem, you handle the hedges and the lawn, Barusu will assist me with my chores, then we'll meet in an hour to make breakfast, after that, we have an hour of free time, then we report back here for the afternoon chores"

Both me and Rem nodded to her and we went off our different ways, I'm guessing I'm helping Ram with her work since she's the head maid and all, she should have all the hard jobs, it makes sense.

"First we're going to clean up the bathing room"

And so we began. She went and brought two mops for us and we mopped away. It wasn't a hard job, the place wasn't dirty in the first place, there's only like four of them here anyway, five with the addition of me, so getting things messy in this big hall of a bathing room should be pretty difficult.

Still, it was a big room so cleaning it till the last bit of dust was gonna take some time, so I decided to break some small talk with Ram, "Hey, Ram how long have you and your sister been working here?"

"Nee-sama"  
"What?"  
"During work, that's how we should address co-workers"

"Even though you call me Barusu?" She gave a cold stare, so cold that I felt shivers through my back, I relented, "Fine then, Ram Nee-san… how long have you and Rem been working as maids for Roswaal?" She stopped doing her worked and leaned on the wall, putting her hand on her chin in a thinking position.

"About ten years now I think, Roswaal-sama took us in and we've been working ever since"

"Ten years huh…" That's when the witch cult had gone rampant, there might be a connection here, gotta be cautious, just in case, "So it's when you were little huh?" "When we were about eleven or so…"

"I see…" Working at that age was definitely not normal, they're definitely victims of it as well, the witch cult, just how much has their hands reached? "I actually had to leave home pretty early too, I think I was on my own for like… eight years now?"

"Hmm, really? Why so?"  
"Unforeseen circumstances, one could say"  
"That's really unfortunate…"  
"Very…"

And in no time, we were done, Ram wiped the sweat off her forehead, wait, was it really that hard? I could've sworn we were only at it for a like ten minutes, yet she's already sweating, maybe it was just my imagination. "What is it, Barusu?"

"Oh, nothing…"

* * *

Next, we went over to wipe the windows, all of them, and that's when Ram and I split up. She took the left wing, while I took the right wing, the mansion is huge so we're probably gonna finish after we cook stuff up in the kitchen. The windows were pretty damn tall, but thanks to magic, I'm able to reach the top.

"To think that it's just those two taking care of this giant… oh, and there's Emilia-san, and Rem too…" I looked over the window and waved over to them, unsurprisingly, Emilia was the only one who waved back, Rem gave me a meaningful stare, and Puck just napping on her head.

"I wonder what they're talking about…?"

.

 _[POV switch]_

Emilia waved back to Subaru while grinning immensely, "Subaru seems to be having fun…" she then looked over to Rem, who was staring at Subaru, in a serious way too. "Something wrong Rem?" Emilia asks her.

"Emilia-sama…" She looks away while going on with her sweeping, "You shouldn't be too trusting of him… you just met him three days ago afterall…" Rem replied with a hidden frown on her face. "I suppose… but I'm sure Subaru's not a bad person… I can somehow tell, right Puck?"

"Hmm, though I do agree with the maid, and Subaru does seem mysterious when we first met him, I don't really sense any maliciousness coming out from him, though, he is scary with that ability of his…"

"Oh yeah, what was that? You could tell Puck?"

"Well, I was absorbed in the battle with the knife lady with a creepy smile, but I was monitoring him as well incase he doesn't do anything weird. I don't know, it's like he somehow has the ability to reverse time or something… One second he's bloody on the floor, next he's where he was two seconds ago"

"Ah yeah, he was good at Yin magic right?"

"Good, but a person of his skill wouldn't be able to even slow down time… Even Betty, at best, all she could do is stop time-flow, reversing time would take someone of more skill, maybe tenfold… he really is mysterious…"

"But it's okay, I'll prove to you all that he's a good person," Emilia said with a proud stance. Rem sighed and replied to her "Rem hopes Emilia-sama is correct…"

.

 _[POV switch]_

I uncasted Murak as I finished wiping up the thirteenth window, I fell to the ground with a thump, "Almost an hour, I should head to the kitchen soon.." I put the cleaning cloth back in the bucket and walked down the hallway to the kitchen.

I was walking through the hallway when suddenly, I felt an omnipresent watch on me. I stopped moving and looked around, there doesn't seem to be anyone here and I don't sense the use of any cloaking magic. I walked to the lavatory, to place down my cleaning supplies but to my astonishment, the door lead to a library.

The girl inside stared at me as I stared back at her, we went on for a good few seconds until she spoke, "You again, I suppose…" she gave me a 'You know the drill' kind of look, and I was about to follow, but after glimpsing at the library so many times, I can't help but feel curious about it.

"Actually, could I stay here for a while… if you don't mind of course…"

She gave me a meaningful stare and sighed, "Do what you want, I suppose…" And just like that, I was granted access to the Forbidden Archives.

I walked in and the smell of books was obvious. The library spanned a good few meters, the bookshelves were made from some sort of magically reinforced bark, the books themselves seem to be just mana, no matter how big the book, they're all lightweight.

There were many books scattered on the floor, a total mess is what it was, so I decided I'd help by cleaning up a bit. I picked up a bunch and put them where they seem the tidiest, I continued to do so until the one whole aisle was clear.

I was spending too much time here, Ram would be mad if I came by late. "Guess I'll be taking my leave now Beatrice… breakfast is going to be ready soon so do come out…" She replied with a 'Hmph' as I closed the door.

After closing the door, I rushed over downstairs to the kitchen, fortunately for me, the gate crossing brought me to a room that was closer to the kitchen, must be the little spirit's way of saying thanks.

After reaching the kitchen door, I opened it up and the two maid sisters greeted me with annoyed looks, Ram at least.

"Your ten minutes late Barusu…" she said while tapping her foot impatiently on the ground, "Yeah sorry about that, was at Beatrice's library so it took a while…"

"Beatrice-sama let you in?" Rem asked with a surprised look, Ram looking quite astonished as well, "Yeah, she sorta just let me in… I tried cleaning up the library, but man that place sure is big, I also notified her of breakfast"

"Did she reject you?" Ram asked me. "Well I'm not sure, she said 'Hmph' not sure if translates to yes or no… but I think it's a yes…"

"Did you mention Emilia-sama's great spirit by chance?" She asked, "You mean Puck? Wait he's a great spirit!? Damn this house is getting more quirky by the minute… and no, I didn't mention him, why ask?"

The two maid sisters looked at each other, then back at me, "Beatrice-sama is usually quite reserved, under normal circumstances, no one but Puck-sama is given entry to the library, there have been other guests who had attempted to enter, but were either punished by a forceful push out the door or a mana drain treatment… and, she won't leave the library unless it's something urgent or if Puck-sama asks her…"

She's a complete shut-in now isn't she, well not that it concerns me in any way. But her allowing me in the library, coupled with her stares, she's definitely wary of me, or maybe she's curious? "Okay then, so what are we making today?" I asked the sisters.

"I was thinking some chicken salad with a side of mashed potatoes? Any thoughts, Barusu?

"Well… I think it'll go good with mayonnaise, I can also prepare a cheesecake for dessert, how does that sound?"

"Cheesecake doesn't sound bad, but I've never heard of mayonnaise… just what may that be?" Ram asked me while getting a chopping board ready, "Well… the simplest definition would be that it's a dipping sauce, but you can use it in many other ways too, you'll understand when you taste it yourself"

From the cupboard, I grabbed out a medium-sized bowl, a whisk, some eggs, a bottle of vinegar and other ingredients. Ram came to check on what I was doing so I said the steps aloud, "Put in three egg yolks, some vinegar, and a tablespoon of salt… then you lightly mix" I grabbed the whisk and started to whisk slowly. In the meantime, Rem was busy washing the vegetables and the kitchenware, "Add a bit of mustard and some lemon for a bit of sourness…" I cut a lemon and juiced out its contents into a bowl, continuing to mix until it turns into a yellow color.

"Once the yellow color is apparent, slowly add a bit of olive oil as you continue to mix it, keep on adding until the mixture turns pale, at which you stop adding… once the pale color is reached, continue to mix until it becomes thick, then… your… done!" I put down the bottle of olive oil as I stopped stirring the mixture. Using my finger, I taste tested it and the results were splendid.

I then let Ram try a bit, her replying, "I understand now, this can definitely be used in many dishes, steamed yams would go great with this…" I dumped the contents of the mixture into a plastic bottle and sealed in the fridge, "It'll taste better when it's all chilly, right… now for that cheesecake…"

After being satisfied with observing my cooking skills, Ram went on with her own dish, the mashed potatoes. Rem had given her a bunch of washed potatoes and she started to peel them, with magic, surprisingly. She used sharp blades of wind to slice off the skin of the potatoes, leaving the insides intact.

"That's pretty good…" I mutter while getting a bigger bowl out of the cupboard. Rem is supposedly busy with the salad, she cut up all the vegetables skillfully, in equal portions, all the while sorting out each into a bowl, she's definitely a great cook.

I turned on the oven and grabbed some flour and some coconut powder off the shelves and mixed them into the large bowl. I then melted some butter on a pan and mixed it in with the flour. I cleaned up the bowl I used to make the mayonnaise and added a few tablespoons of vanilla in, along with a block of cream cheese, some sour cream, and some stevia.

Back to the bigger bowl, I added an egg and mixed it until it was evenly spread, I then put another and repeated the process once more, and then again with a third egg. After that was done I put in the contents of the other bowl in and mixed them well, once that was done with, I spread it evenly all over a baking tray, after taste testing it to make sure everything was in the right proportions, I put the tray into the oven, letting it bake for about an hour.

While the cheesecake was baking, I took out some strawberries from the fridge and washed them, from the bunch, I picked out the larger ones and of the larger ones, I took out the dull colored ones. I then cut each into three equal pieces, totaling to twenty-four cut pieces.

I placed them down on a plate while I waited for the cheesecake to bake but then Ram called me, seems like it was time to start serving, time flies when you're cooking, doesn't it. "Let's go then…" I took out the mayonnaise from the fridge and placed it into the serving tray, I then followed Rem and Ram out the door and into the dining hall.

The seating plan was the usual, Roswaal was at the far end, Beatrice and Emilia were one seat away from him, and Puck sitting on the table. "So what are we having today?" Emilia asks eagerly.

We opened up the tray and revealed to her today's menu, even I was surprised at how good the salad looks, like something fit for the great dragon himself. We served out the plates and everyone started to eat up, though Emilia was looking at the bottle of mayonnaise I placed down in front of them, "Subaru… what's inside that?" She asks me curiously. "Mayonnaise, Emilia-sama… something that's served quite literally every time in Kararigi… or at least in my household"

She decides to put some in her plate and try it out with the salad, lo and behold she burst out squealing in delight,"Jis is sho good!" She put more on her plate and gobbled up her food, her smile was like a child who got reunited with their lost mother.

"My~, Emilia-sama's reaction has got me~ all enticed in this mayonnaise…" Next was Roswaal, and soon later, Beatrice joined in, "It wouldn't hurt to try, I suppose…" The next moment, they were all shedding tears of bliss as they chewed their food. Rem gave me a skeptical look, "Subaru-kun, what exactly did you put inside?" " Just normal stuff, eggs, lemon, mustard, Ram Nee-san saw it all, why they're overreacting is beyond me…"

I could see Beatrice struggled to hold in her joy, her arms seem to fidget while her eyes stare at the bottle. "Here, let me help you with that…" I walked over and put some on her plate, her eyes were sparkling but she gave me an annoyed look for some reason.

"Rem Nee, the cheesecake is still in the kitchen so I'll be going to prepare it.."

"Understood, Subaru-kun…"

I hurried back into the kitchen, the cheesecake seemed to have been cooked the moment I entered. I took it out of the oven and let it cool down for a minute, I then put it on the freezer on full blast to give it a little frost, I then topped it off with the twenty-four strawberry pieces I cut from before. I then sliced the cake into eight equal pieces, got it ready on a tray, and brought it over to the dining room, the whole time, I felt like someone was watching me, which was really irritating.

By the time I reached there, everyone was finished with the main dish and was getting ready for they're dessert, my homemade cheesecake. "Today's dessert is Keto cheesecake topped off with strawberries, made by yours truly…" I said in the most professional voice I can muster.

They all looked at it with promising eyes, even the maids. Roswaal said, "This looks~ sweet indeed…" while Emilia remarked, "You made this Subaru? I hope it was as delicious as the mayonnaise!" All the while, Beatrice looked at it with a face of hunger. I myself felt a little tense, though the cake may look good, taste is a whole different thing, I felt extremely nervous, probably because this is going to be the first time I've served something to someone other than myself or my parents, I had the urge to say, 'Just eat it already!'.

Puck took a glimpse at me and called me over, "Subaru, could you try a bit of this cake…?" "Sure, why not?" He had a bit of cake on his hand and he shoved it into my mouth, tastes so good damn good.

"Shit…" I mutter out, which lead to Puck raising an eyebrow and his mouth to break into a mischievous grin, "What am I doing! Eating in front of my superiors, this is a test isn't it!" I screamed out while gulping down the cake.

Puck broke out laughing, with Roswaal chuckling a bit, Emilia looked a the two a little bit confused, "I should've known better…" "Hahaha… sorry, sorry… it's okay Lia, you can eat the cake now…"

"Wait, you didn't think I poisoned the cake did you?!"  
"You were feeling a little bit nervous so I was a little suspicious, turns out I was wrong, but I got a good reaction out of you, haha!"  
"Seriously… if I was going to poison you, I'd do it with the salad or the potatoes, it'd be obvious with the cake, I'm not that short-sighted you know?"

Once everyone was finished with dessert, we cleared up the table and went back to the kitchen, now it was our turn to eat, "Hey guys, there's still some leftover cheesecake if you'd like some" "I think I'll pass, Barusu"

"Rem shall pass to, sorry, Subaru-kun…"

Seems like they're not a big fan of dessert, or maybe they're just jealous of how good my cooking skills are, either way, looks like I'm going to have to find someone else to eat this with me.

Our one hour of free time starts now, so I'd better make use of it. Putting the remaining cheesecakes in a plate I hurried over out the door, "Roswaal is busy so I can't really ask him, Emilia-san was definitely stuffed so I doubt she'll want anymore, I don't think Puck's the sweet type… then that leaves Beatrice, I think she'll do fine"

I walked around the mansion for a while, thinking on which door to choose, the odds should be pretty low of myself finding it, looking from the sheer size of the mansion, but what do you know, "What do you want, I suppose?" The door beside me opened and the little spirit was shown in all her glory, looks like she came out to look for me, how fortunate.

"There's some cheesecake left over, I was wondering if you'd like to have some with me?" She stared at me for a few seconds before turning her head and walking back in, leaving the door open, seems like she agreed, at least I hope she did.

I followed her in and placed the plate on her table, she sat down on her stool and I grabbed a nearby chair to sit opposite of her. We each took one cheesecake and stuffed it into our mouths, it tastes so good… There was one more, and it seems Beatrice has already gobbled up her first piece.

"You gonna eat that?"  
"Hmph, you barely ate anything haven't you, I suppose?"

How considerate of her, but I'll push on to see how far that consideration goes, "I'm not a heavy eater so you can go ahead…" Without even a thought, she snatched away the last piece, guess that's as far as her kindness goes, and I really wanted to eat that as well.

Just when I was finished with half of my first piece, she had already finished with her second, she used a handkerchief to wipe off the crumbs from her mouth, she then went back to reading her book, but not before saying in a low voice, "Thanks for the meal…"

I don't think she said that during breakfast, so it seems I'm getting on good terms with her, I saw a teapot on the table and two cups as well, seemed like it was filled so I decided to pour some in for us. She gave me an astonished look and asked, "Isn't it your free time? Shouldn't you be spending it elsewhere?"

"I guess there are other places that could be a better place to spend my free time, but it'd be a waste not to take a look around this library…"

She sighed and turned her stool around, grabbing a book from one of the nearby shelves and keeping to herself, making sure to take a sip of her tea. I wasn't the type to read books, unless it benefits me of course.

I searched through an aisle but none of the books seemed to catch my eye, so I decided to just clean up the books from the floor. Of the books I picked, many were story books, the historical kinds, others were about constructing magic algorithms which I know a little bit of. I decided to keep it in a place where I can find it the next time I visited the library.

I was so engrossed in cleaning that I lost track of time, "Well, gotta run… sorry for taking your time, Beatrice" I waved off as I ran out the door, she seemed to wave back while her eyes were still glued to the book.

I hurried off to continue with wiping the remaining windows, once that's done, Ram had me sweep the main lounge, we then replaced all the vases, proceeded on with making lunch for everyone, Beatrice seemed extremely upset, possibly because I hadn't made any extra mayonnaise. After lunch was another hour of free time, which I spent talking with Puck and Emilia outside in the gazebo.

Dinner was quite uneventful, Roswaal had gone to a night meeting and Beatrice had kidnapped Puck, so we accompanied Emilia during dinner. The rest of the night was spent with me practicing my sewing skills. I've attempted at making a Puck doll, and it seems to have been a perfect replica.

"You weren't lying when you said you could sew, Barusu…" Ram said, she was at my door holding what seems to be a basket. "I'm off to an evacuation shack near the mountains to do a little bit of cleaning. If you're feeling it, I could show you the way so when the time comes, you can help handle things"

"Evacuation shack… well maybe later, I'll ask Rem Nee about, been wanting to talk to her for a while…"  
"I see… that's not a bad idea, then, I'll be going, please do try to control your manly urges while I'm gone, Barusu…"  
"You and Roswaal are really getting on me with that stuff you know… don't worry I'll look after while you're gone…"  
"Hmm, I'm off then…"

Ram closed the door and her footsteps faded off into the distance, I laid down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I just can't shake the feeling that this won't last long, "Well better just enjoy it while I can…" I put down the Puck plush on my table, I'll give it to Beatrice as thanks for letting me crash in her library. The table wasn't nearly as fancy as the last one, since my room has been switched to the servants quarters.

Roswaal's gone to a meeting, Emilia is probably studying in her room, Puck is already asleep, Beatrice should be in the library, reading whatever book she can reach, and Rem's washing up all the laundry, a really peaceful place I scored myself.

And the night went on...

* * *

A/N

2 weeks exact, I'm not late this time!

Alright, this is pretty good chapter if I do say so myself, I literally have no idea on what people eat and when they eat it so I just guessed shit, hope it's even a little bit close to reality. I mean all I eat is rice and eggs, every single day, with the occasional fried fish. I'm gonna do another Warlock chapter as promised and there might be a chance for another 4k Re fantasy chapter in the next five days if my brain feels like it...

 **Whoag  
** _ **I wonder if we'll get to see Subaru's identity being revealed to the rest of the mansion, and he has to try and explain himself.**_

So in the case that he does reveal his identity to Emilia and the others, he, firstly, wouldn't be alone in the explanation as Roswaal is there to help him out, that is, if we're talking about the first loop. Even so, Emilia wouldn't mind or anything, since he's already revealed to her, his Witch miasma connection.

Ram and Rem probably would be understanding if they heard the **whole** story, and trust him, according to Roswaal's wishes. Puck would be reluctant and I feel Beatrice would be like, how the hell you know this shit!?

 **If I Could Be  
** _ **Okay, Roswaal seems to take his true identity very well… I wonder how will the maiden twins handle it?**_

It doesn't matter how they'll handle it, they'll act according to how Roswaal wants them to act, and the story is in first person, so to 'Subaru', it looked like Roswaal took it well, you never know what that clown's actually thinking, just keep that in mind...

 **Christian Red  
** _ **Nice chapter, looking forward to more. Will there be OC's from the other Sin clan's that survived?**_

I'm currently doing this until Arc 3 so in the near future most likely a no, but maybe later on (a few months or so after I finish Arc 3) there would be one? Arc 4 would reveal which clan Emilia was in and Arc 6 would explain the backstories of all the clans and their leaders, aka. The witches of sin.

 **Tales from Puck  
** _ **What's this? Rem doesn't like mayo, aw hell no! I'm glad to see that he's capable of speaking about Pride, it shows that it's not apart of his 'contract' with Satella.**_

To be clear, he has no 'contract' with Satella, as his Return by Death is due to, not her, but the Witch genes of Pride. As to why Satella can enter his realm, there's a completely different reason, which I'll reveal later, or you can just ask... This means he's also able to explain his abilities without getting any lash backs or heart grabbing of sorts. Though having him tell everyone that would just make the plot bland…

That isn't to say he has no restrictions. He has limitations he set on himself and that he promised with Satella, who can barely manage a sentence in his realm.

1\. Never, under any circumstances abuse Return by Death for informational or personal gain. (Like trying to relive a weekend)  
2\. Only end a life when the outcome was both undesirable, and irreparable. (The first loop when he killed Lia, their trust is broken)  
3\. Talking about your 'realm' with others and the one who resides in it is off limits. (Though anyone who enters it is okay)  
4\. Return by Death is never to be revealed to anyone. (Though, if they know of it prior, it's okay)


	7. Arc 2: Chapter 3

**Uploading date: 6/28/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 2: An Everlasting Week**_

 **Chapter 3: Getting to know them**

* * *

Waking up again, this time, on a different bed, not as comfortable as the last one, but still did it's job extremely well. I got up and did a few stretches to shake my body up, then, I quickly went out of my room and into the bath, don't want to be late.

I walked down the hallway as I buttoned down my jacket, Rem is pretty good at sewing herself, to be able to make this in a day, and I took a whole night just to make a small plushy. I looked out my window and to my surprise, the sun was peeking out from the hill, "Wait, don't tell me I woke up too early?" I gazed over at a clock and I was right, "Three in the morning… you gotta be kidding me"

I sighed as I walked around the mansion, the lights were still on and the hallways were brightly lit. Still, with everyone else sleeping, the place really does feel empty, lonely, like a haunted house, "Heh, I doubt there'd be ghosts here…" the lights then suddenly went out, the hallways were darkened though not too dark as tiny bits of sunlight shot through the curtains, this creepy scene...

"Subaru-kun…"

" **OH MY GOD!"**

A sudden voice from behind me scared the shit out of me, it made my heart skip one or three beats, did I jinx myself when I said there were no ghosts here?! I turned back and to my relief, it was Rem, seriously, "Rem… y-you really know how to get the jump on a man don't you…"

"Very funny, Subaru-kun…" She said with a straight face, can't she laugh at a joke. "What are you doing up this early, may Rem ask?" Why am I up this early? That's a simple enough question, "Well, I was afraid of waking up late, so I slept in early last night, so I woke up too early today… but what are you doing up, doesn't Ram hand the chores out at Six?"

"Rem normally wakes up at this time, so…"  
"I see…"

She wakes up at three in the morning? That's a surprise, wait! Who in the right mind would wake up this early in the morning? Most servants wake up at Five, any lower than that then it would be sleep deprivation, unless… "Rem Nee, what time do you sleep at?" "Eleven, why do you ask?" Yeah, she's definitely sleep deprived!

"Don't you think you're overexerting yourself, Rem? That means you only get like… four hours of sleep, is that really enough? After hearing that, I wouldn't be surprised if you fainted any moment now..."

"Subaru-kun's concern is not needed, Rem has been sleeping late and waking up early for ten years now, so it's become a habit…" Ten years ago? That's when she was hired as a maid right? Then that means she's hasn't been getting enough sleep for ten whole years? "Of course, Rem had to take it easy at first, Rem would oversleep a lot when Rem first started as a maid…" Ah, that's relief, so her body can at least reprimand itself.

"Then, would you like some morning tea, I'm gonna go brew some" She just nodded, "Rem will be waiting outside then…" and she left, guess I'll bring over some biscuits too while I'm at it.

* * *

We both sat on the porch, watching as the sun rose above the mountain, the sight was almost as good as the premade biscuits I took out from the kitchen, "So Rem, what do you normally do at times like this?" She put her cup of tea down and looked towards the distance, "Rem would take a walk around the forest and search for nuts… when Rem was young, Rem would go out with Nee-sama and do just that, it's sort of nostalgic in a way…"

"I see…"

"Other times, Rem would wait by the gate for Roswaal-sama if he was returning, or, Rem would go and practice combat in the backyard, there are also times when Emilia-sama wakes up early, though it is rare, we'd have tea by the porch, just like we are right now…"

"Hmm…" I put down my cup and bit down on a biscuit, I've never really had a taste for tea, "Does Beatrice ever leave the library? Except during breakfast, lunch, and stuff…" "No, Beatrice-sama rarely leaves, it's only unless it's an emergency, even then, it's hard to convince her to get out…"

"I wonder if she's asleep or not…"

"Beatrice-sama would be awake, Subaru-kun… Rem doubts if Beatrice-sama actually sleeps, whenever Rem runs into her, she's always awake, no matter what time of day it is… why did Beatrice-sama come to mind?"

"Why you ask? Well, I'm not sure… I guess she's just interesting, It's not every day that you see a little great spirit yeah? Hehe…" I said with a dry laugh at the end, which made Rem glare at me, "Rem didn't know Subaru-kun was interested in little girls… that was a lie wasn't it?" Eh? I really was just interested, oh well, let's see what happens when I play along for a while.

"Haah!" I relaxed and stretched my body, Rem looking quite alert, "Your pretty observant, Rem…" I say with a mocking smile. "As a maid, Rem must always stay vigilant when protecting the mansion… if you think you're going to pull any cards, it'll have to go through Rem first…" Already calling threats this early in the morning, she's really paranoid.

"Okay then, there's another reason…" She stared at me with a 'hmph' and sipped a bit more of her tea, "I feel like Beatrice could be useful to me… for a goal I've set out to do, Roswaal could be helpful too, and Emilia-san… well, I'm not really sure about her, if she helps, she'd actually be a hindrance…"

Rem shot me a cold glare, was it because I labeled Emilia as useless? "So you're going to dispose of the 'hindrance' then?" She said while getting a little aggressive in her stance, "Woah, Woah there, now you're just jumping into conclusions! I mean, I only here because I saved her, not because I need her or anything..."

I was replied with a long stare, "Guess you won't believe me just like that huh… Fine, I'll what I need them for..." She sat back in her chair, still acting very cautious but it seems she's loosened up a bit, "Right then, to put it simply… I'm looking for the group of people that destroyed my village, that is all…" She had a meaningful stare set on me, and after a few seconds of staring, she said, "What village may that be? And where?"

"My, my, you're getting pretty deep into it now aren't now aren't you? Very well… but I'm not gonna give away my personal information without getting some information myself… what do you say?" I'm really playing her into my hands right now, and I mean it literally, I raised my hand towards her, "What if you choose to provide false information? Rem could just so easily do the same…"

"Contract then, we shall be bound to only speak of the truth, the contract will only be temporary, and will be undone once our conversation ends… are we in agreement?" I say with a welcoming smile.

She was a little hesitant but she gave me her hand in the end, "We are in agreement…" She replies, "Then the contract is made…" Blue light glowed from her arm and orange light from mine, signaling the contract's effects. Well, now I can ask anything I want, "So… where do we start…"

"Rem is from a village near the mountains, far away from here, Rem and Ram had stayed in the village until ten years ago, where we were taken in by Roswaal as maids, both my parents are deceased… your turn, Subaru-kun…"

"I'm from a village situated in Kararagi, I could give you the location if my memory of the Kararagian map wasn't fuzzy… eight years ago, a grouped attacked my village and slaughtered everyone there, I was the only remaining survivor, my mother sacrificed her life to protect me, same with my dad…"

After hearing the explanation, she seems to have understood my situation, "So, do you have any lead on who they were?" Looks like she's getting curious already, "No… no clear leads yet, but I do have my guesses… One thought I had would be a terrorist group in Kararagi, It would have been better to go to a Kararagian authority but hell, those guys are selfish beyond compare… another guess would be, the Witch-cult…"

"Witch cult…" Rem repeated, with a more ominous voice, "What would lead you to make such a claim?" "Well, my village was involved with some witch artifacts, you know what happened in Garkla? The Vollachian city that was destroyed by a single cult member?"

"Yes, Rem has heard of it… they had discovered a relic supposedly related to the witch of sloth, they held an auction which got a lot of attention from the whole continent, then that was when the individual, Regulus Corneas, came and wiped out the whole city… So you think yours was the same?"

"Similar I'd say… the actions of the Witch-cult comprises of two things, "The Witch of Envy" and "Leaving no survivors", One reason I doubt it was them was that I was able to slip through their grasps, though… this says otherwise…" I revealed to her, my Sage's box, the molten, metal like cube with a broken lock on its's lid, definitely looks like an artifact.

"So if it really was the Witch-cult, this would be the artifact they were after?" Rem asks me, "Indeed, it's merely a box which used to contain something powerful. Well, that powerful thing is gone now so it's just a box, though, I've been told that it has the ability to steal this powerful thing from the individual that took it…"

"Are you in any way affiliated with the Witch-cult, a spy? An ex-member perhaps? Silence will be interpreted as a yes..."

"Did you not just hear what I said about them possibly destroying my village!?"  
"That doesn't answer the question, Subaru-kun..."  
"Tch... no, I'm in no way part of the cult, in fact, I despise them, you happy?"

She took a quick glance at the box and gave me a look, "May Rem examine the box?" "No, I've promised to keep it out of the hands of the people I don't trust… so good luck getting it out of me..."

"People you don't trust?"  
"It goes both ways, doesn't it?"  
"Yes, it surely does…"  
"Really now? But you drank the tea I made right?"

"Pffft!" She spat out the tea back in her cup, seems like she really didn't think about it huh, "To think that Subaru-kun would be capable of doing such deeds… you're more than a low than a scumbag..." A chuckled a bit while she glared at me, "If I did poison the tea, I'd be poisoned as well you see, I drank the same tea after all…"

She gets up and looks away, "Let's end this here, Rem should wake up Nee-sama now, and Roswaal-sama should also be returning soon…" She takes the tray of biscuits and the tea set and went back to the kitchen, shooting me a glare before she closes the door, "That man is dangerous, I should keep a watch on him… is what she's probably what she's thinking…" I say while resting my arms on the railings.

"You're a sly fox, Subaru-kun…" A voice from around the corner entered my ear. I turned around and look who we have eavesdropping onto our conversation, "I can say about the same for you too… Roswaal..." The clown had a grin on his face, still sporting his usual jester outfit, he walks up and stands beside me.

"And since when were you here?"  
"Oh, right when Rem said something about you liking little girls"

"Okay, now you're really getting on my nerves with this kinda stuff, Roswaal… so, you need something? Or do you want me to get down with a smile and say, 'Welcome home Master~, how was the meeting' heh?" I joked, which made both of us laugh, "You'd~ make a good comedian Subaru-kun… I'm just a little interested in how your goals and Beatrice are related… would you want information from the library? Or from Beatrice herself?"

"Oh, actually I was just playing with her. I didn't really think about it until now actually... But I doubt she'd be able to give useful information... Her library contains information on things that occurred during the era of the witches, and she herself likes to stay alone in the library, that's what Rem told me, so if that's true, then she isn't going to know much about what happened in the present day either…"

"Ah~ that is true, so, she wouldn't be useful at all?"

"Well, not exactly... If I'm to fulfill my goals, then I'm going to need a reliable partner that would fight beside me, and a great spirit like Beatrice would be a pretty good partner…" Now that you think about it, her gate crossing is a high-class Yin spell, to make a connection to a room with this many doors in a mansion this big, and to maintain it for hundreds of years, she must be a powerful mage.

"I see… it is true, Beatrice is very skilled, she has mastered Yin magic after all, and she does have a vast mana pool, I myself am not sure where she gets the mana to sustain the library… though, you do realize what you're doing by partnering with her don't you?"

Roswaal says to me with a serious and concerned look, "Hmm? I don't follow, as far as I'm told, she guards the library which houses all of Echidna's knowledge, that being said, you shouldn't really have a connection besides being the representative of the witch, I don't see a fault in contracting with her?"

"Ah, so she hasn't revealed her own circumstances yet, now has she?"  
"Her own circumstances?"

"It seems her guarding the library was a contract between herself and Echidna, and it wasn't simply to protect the knowledge, it was to hand it over to someone, Echidna never stated who she was to hand it over to, so she's been waiting ever since… it's what I've been told anyway. There have been many that had come before you, claiming to be the fabled person that she was waiting for, but she has rejected every single one of them, and though she does seem to be more tolerant of you, I can't help but fear the same may happen to you, what has happened to the others…"

"She rejected them all… huh?"  
"Yes, one after another, blasted through the library door"

"Poor souls... and she was a really polite person too... Ah well, dad always told me those types of girls have to be pestered before you can ask them out, so that's what they should have done..."

"Ehe, I~ don't think I follow? Just to be clear, what kind of partner are you searching for exactly, Subaru-kun?"

"Like I said, a reliable partner that can help me achieve my goal, a partner that won't lose hope just because the light at the end of the tunnel disappears, a partner who's fit to fight by my side! Or anyone who I can give my utmost trust to anyway…"

"I… I see... Your explanation back then oddly resembles advice that a father would give to his son on how to find himself a wife, the context doesn't seem to fit in very well… But~ anyway, I wish you the best of luck…"

"Wait, I never said I was going to do it!"

* * *

After having that long talk with Roswaal, I walked around the mansion, thinking on what to do next, Ram should be awake by now, that means I have an hour before work starts, "Guess I'll fill this house full of mayonnaise until then!" I say in a voice that was a little too loud. The door beside me opened and surprise, surprise, Emilia came out, with Puck of course.

"Ah, you're up early Subaru"  
"Yo, Emilia-san, sleep well?"

"Actually... I couldn't sleep last night, my stomach kept on rumbling... it's all your fault Subaru! The mayonnaise was too good, I couldn't stop thinking about it..."

Looks like I've successfully caught her in my grasp, now I can bribe her with mayonnaise! That is, if I wanted to of course, but that's not a good thing to do, so let's not do that. "Well, I was actually going to make some more just now..." "Really! Hey, can you teach me how to make some? Pretty please!" she begged to me with puppy eyes, I can see Puck facepalming himself.

Is this person really going to become Lugnica's next king? May the dragon guide you well... "Sure, why not?"

.

And so we went to the kitchen, she geared up with an apron, a cooking hat, oven mittens, safety goggles, hairpins, "Hold it Emilia-san, that's way too much equipment! It's mayonnaise we're making not a buffet!" I say while grabbing out the ingredients. "Eh? We won't be using the oven?"

She really isn't cut out for this, hate to say it but whoever is marrying her, you'd better be prepared, "Mayonnaise is simple to make, you just need oil, mustard, eggs and other things, then you mix them together, simple as that" I started pouring in the ingredients into the bowl while Emilia does the same, "Really?! It's that easy?"

"Yeah, it's that easy"  
"Waaah..."

Puck watched on as we continued our mixing, all the while, he remarked, "Hard to believe something so tasty could be made so easily, normally, we're served something that takes hours to make..." I dipped in my finger to get a taste, "Well... 'Even the simplest of things can rival the complex' is a popular saying in Kararagi, much of our dishes are made from simple ingredients, we have udon and sushi which don't take long to prepare, though I can prepare some, I doubt it'd beat Rem's cooking, she beats me in every sector..."

"Yeah, the blue maid is by far the most skilled cook I've seen before..."

"Hey Subaru, how's this?" Emilia called over to me, I turned over and had the sudden urge to laugh, I looked over to Puck, him almost covering his eyes with his tiny paws, probably dying trying to contain his laughter, "Ehe... the color looks just right, Emilia-san... but..." She's got mayonnaise everywhere, on her hat, hands, it's even dripping out of the bowl.

"Yeah?"  
"Nevermind..."

I dropped my whisk and went over to her, looking over at whatever was left in her bowl, "Let's have a try then, shall we?" Using a spoon I took a sip, and "Pft-" Too much salt! I nearly slammed my hand to the table, my face scrunched up so bad as I forced this salty substance inside my mouth.

"So, how was it? Was it so good you can't express it in words!? I had maid training before, you know, so if you expected something average you're in for surprise Subaru, haha!" Maid training? What did you get on your cooking test, an F? How much salt did you put into this!

"W-Well... augh, can't express it in words would be correct..."

Looking over to Puck, he's practically rolling over the table bursting into tears, I'll get him for this.

Just then the door opened, and in came Ram, all ready for work "I was wondering what was with all the commotion and here I see Barusu defiling Emilia-sama, what a gruesome sight..." She said jokingly but with a face of clear disgust.

"That's enough Ram, don't tease Subaru too much, anyway... here, I made some mayonnaise, please tell me how you think of it!" She said with a smug smile plastered on her face, Ram, I pray that you'll handle this well.

"As you wish, Emilia-sama..." She took the bowl off her hands and noted that the bowl was dripping, she sighed. She dipped her fingers into the runny mixture and stuck it in her mouth and, "PFFFFFT!" resisting the urge to hurl it all out, she covered her mouth with her arm, quickly facing the other way to hide her mortified expression.

"So, so, how was it!"

Emilia said with a beaming expression, Puck and I looked over to her with a mocking smile, "Come on Ram Nee-san... don't keep her waiting..." she gulped it all in and slammed the table with her fist, "Emilia-sama, it's good... just a tad bit too much salt, though, you shouldn't trouble yourself with such chores..." she said with a shrivelled voice, probably due to the salt.

She looked over to me and Puck as we clapped her on, "Well played, Ram Nee-san" "Well played indeed, Red haired one..." she scowled at the two of us, while Emilia sighed, "If you say so Ram, well then, I'll see you later then Subaru"

"See ya"

We waved her off as she left the kitchen, leaving the apron and cooking hat behind, "Barusu, never, under any circumstances, let her enter the kitchen ever again..." I sighed while dumping her mayonnaise into the trash, "Roger that, Nee-san..."

* * *

After that whole ordeal, we cleaned up the kitchen and I bottled up the edible mayonnaise and stashed it away. Retreating to the employee's lounge, Ram handed out the chores once again, only this time, it's for the whole day. Three, one-hour breaks after breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and after eight, we have the rest of the night to ourselves.

As Ram was giving out the chores, I've been getting sudden stares by Rem, to which Ram questioned, "Is something the matter Rem?" the fact that Ram asked means that Rem hasn't told her about our conversation this morning, I wonder how she'll reply, "Subaru-kun's hair disturbs Rem, it's unsightly and sloppy..."

"That's your excuse?" I say in a whisper while sighing, "Fine then, Barusu, tomorrow, we're all going to restock on spices by the village, while we go shopping, you're going to get a haircut by the village barber, understand?"

"The one down the road right? Arlham village, I think Emilia-san said its name was, sure, why not"

And after that, we all split up to our own chores, my days as a butler, chapter 2 of the series, has started.

.

First things first, I had to clear up the fireplace and replace all the burnt logs with fresh new ones, unfortunately, the replacement firewood is on the other side of the mansion, so I had to journey all the way over there, get the firewood, then make it all the way back.

Next, I had to solo it out with the bathing room, which wasn't hard cause all I had to do was some light scrubbing and after replacing all the water, I was done.

Right after that, I had to sweep up the front lawn that was littered with leaves from last nights winds. Coincidentally, Rem was sweeping it with me, we shot each other stares as we went on with our work.

"It~ seems you two are getting along"

We turn our heads to the owner of the voice, and see Roswaal over by the porch waving at us, I sigh while Rem bows down to him.

"We're practically best friends, right, Rem?"  
"Don't spoil yourself with such delusions, Subaru-kun"

She replied sharply, "Ouch, my feelings..." Roswaal chuckled to our antics as he walks down the lane, "Going somewhere Roswaal?" I ask while wiping off the sweat on my forehead, "I'm~ off to check to the village for business related to the royal election, you~ see..."

"Ah, informing them early on Emilia-san's candidacy? Good luck with that then"  
"Much~ appreciated, Subaru-kun... I'm off then..."

He goes off with a bang, by that I meant he flew up and out of sight in a matter of seconds, that's the court magician for you. While he leaves, I and Rem go back to our staring contest, until Ram called us back in to prepare breakfast.

I was tasked with making a butt load of mayonnaise on Emilia's request while Rem and Ram got going with the main dish and the dessert, and with due time we completed it all quickly and with five minutes to spare as well.

Rem went ahead to prepare the table while Ram got the dishes on the tray, Roswaal has left for the village so he's probably going to dine there, I used the five minutes to ring up on Beatrice, which took a while to find, it's not easy getting the door but when I get a certain feeling, I usually get the right door.

"What brings you here, I suppose?"  
"We're serving breakfast soon, you're coming right?"

"And what makes breakfast so special that you have to go and call me, I suppose?" she said with annoyance plastered all over her face, "Isn't it my job to call you?" I say matter of factly. "Was it stated in your job description to 'Call Betty to breakfast', I suppose?"

"Nope, but there's mayonnaise?"  
"Then... give me two minutes... I suppose..."  
"I thank you for your patronage"

I left, feeling very satisfied. I feel like I've accomplished something worthy of praise, though it's probably just my imagination. I walk back to the kitchen, getting everything ready to serve. I pushed the tray over to the dining room, I can smell the aroma of beautifully fried fish seep from the bottom of the tray, damn, why did I have to be a servant!

We entered and saw Emilia sitting in the head of the table, looking just a tad bit lonely. When we entered she immediately asked, "Hey, do you guys want to eat with me? Since Roswaal's not here and all..." Eating alone isn't something she likes, I guess, but this is the perfect opportunity to eat this exquisite dish.

"Emilia-sama, it is unbefitting for a servant to eat alongside their masters..."  
"But Rem Nee, isn't it a disgrace to reject an order from your master?"  
"Then only if Emilia-sama orders it..."

We all look over to Emilia, her getting a little tensed up, "Ah, well, I don't want to look like I'm forcing you or anything... uh, but..." Are you really that shy to ask? Looks like she'll need a little push, "Emilia-sama, as your servant, I have a duty to advise you in such times, during the royal election, do you think you'll get anywhere with that attitude?" I say with a stern look.

"Ah, I... think so?"

"Do you think this country needs a selfless king? A king that tries their utmost to make living easier for any and all citizens? Providing them with all their needs?"

"Well, yeah-"

"Wrong! If anything, a king should be selfish! A selfless king will surely perish to dust! By being selfish, people will work under your will, growing strong through hardship!"

"Ah, but-"

"A selfless king that always helps his people will only make them more dependent, and when the day that their king dies, they will all fall down into an abyss of helplessness!"

"You're... you're right!"

"Of course I'm right! You should ask for what you want, make your authority clear, show everyone that you can govern the country with a firmness no one else has seen!"

"Yeah!"

"So, my king! What is your first order" I say while I kneel down on the ground, shocking Emilia a little bit.

"Uh, ahh... Okay!" She slams her hands onto the table, "From today onwards! Everyone shall dine together, under any and all circumstances! I order it!" Yes, I've scored myself a luxury dining experience for life! Thanks a lot, Emilia.

"Nya, bending my daughter for your own benefit is not a good thing, Subaru..." Puck said with a hint of hatred, "But it seems Lia was able to express her wishes, for that, you're off the hook..."

"Mutual benefit is the best form of partnership, another popular saying in Kararagi, Puck"

After that boisterous lecture, I sat down on the table, looking rather proud of myself. Rem gave me an annoyed look while Ram only sighed, just then, Beatrice came in.

"Oh, your all dining together? Does that mean you have forgotten about Betty, I suppose? Even though you came to ask?"

"Ah, Beatrice, I was wondering what took you so long, and you'd understand why I hadn't told them you were coming if you were in my position" I said while pointing over to the big metal tray in the middle of the table, more exactly, on the big and delicious fish being served.

"Hmph, you're a greedy pig, you know..."  
"Says the one who hogged up the cheesecakes to herself the day before..."

"What!? You're the one who gave them to me, I suppose!"

Emilia and Puck chuckled as they watched our banter, "Nee-sama, Nee-sama, could it be that Subaru-kun has a secret divine protection that allows him to befriend little girls?" Rem whispered loudly to Ram, "Rem, Rem, that seems to be the case..." Ram replied.

"Hey, it isn't nice to talk about someone behind their backs, you know!"  
"Hey, it isn't nice to talk about someone behind their backs, I suppose!"

We said in unison, which made Emilia and Puck burst out in laughter, annoying the both of us, "Rem, Rem, I think it's more like the secret divine protection of thinking exactly what little girls think..." Ram whispered loudly to Rem, "Nee-sama, Nee-sama, such a horrid blessing exists?"

"Enough already!"  
"Enough, I suppose!"

After all that bickering, we went on with breakfast, with Beatrice deciding to sit beside me. We all practically fought over who gets the mayonnaise, all except Rem, of course, seems she isn't a fan of mayonnaise. I made a mental note, to make an even bigger butt load next time. There was some leftover fish, which Puck finished off on his own pretty quickly.

"Ah, meals are always better with more people" Emilia remarks with a full stomach, "Sure is... but still, I can't believe we managed to finish five whole bottles of mayonnaise in a single eating session..." I say while grabbing all the emptied bottles from the table. We're going to have to find a way to mass produce these on a large scale if we're going to keep this up.

"Then Rem can prepare a batch of Five hundred before lunch..."  
"Yeah, thats- Five hundred!? W-Where are we gonna keep that much mayo?"

"We have large barrels and we can buy more from the village so it shouldn't be a problem, we have large pots and we still have a large number of ingredients left, and the freezing room is more than enough to store five hundred, Rem is sure to make it by lunch..."

"But, five hundred!? Isn't that overkill?" If she's really able to make that much in that short amount of time, then I'll be damned. And also, does this mansion really have enough for five hundred whole bottles worth of mayonnaise!?

"Yes, yes it does Barusu"  
"Gah! Did Nee-san read my thoughts?"  
"It's written all over your face..."

The day went on, chores had to be done, sweat had to be wiped. Roswaal had returned from the village with some good news and by lunch, I'm shown a mountain of barrels, all filled with mayonnaise, normally, this would be a blissful dream come true but I was utterly terrified, terrified of the monster of a maid that made this happen.

I looked over to Rem who was dusting her maid uniform, not looking tired in the least, "Rem... you'd make a great wife you know?" She seemed to choke on that single compliment, "A-As... as if Rem would be your wife!" She said with a killer look on her eyes, well that's an overreaction I kinda expected, "Hold your horses, it was just a compliment, I don't think I'd want to marry you anyway"

"Barusu, are you saying my Rem isn't attractive..."  
"Ram Nee-san!? When did you get here?"

"Mind you Barusu, I'm always here... always watching, I'm this mansions eyes, so you can't do a single act without me knowing, that being said, you make a move on my little sister or Emilia-sama to add, and you'll answer to me..."

Okay, now I'm really terrified, it's like staring two demons in the eye right after angering them.

* * *

Later that night, everything seemed to have calmed down, Ram was with Roswaal for some sort of review? Rem was busy doing her night patrol of sorts, Emilia was doing her political studies and I was left alone in my room, with absolutely nothing to do.

"I don't feel tired... and I've run out of wool for making things..."

I look over to my desk and notice the Puck plush I made the other night, "I wonder... is Beatrice still up?" Might as well give it to her now, not like I have anything better to do at the moment.

Grabbing the plush of my desk, I dressed up in my usual Kararagi-Lugnica hybrid attire and went out of my room. Through several doors, I felt like one stood out and opened it, to my surprise that door was the right one, "Got it on my first try huh..." I looked in and I was met with an annoyed look by Beatrice.

"Just so you know, I won't have a midnight snack with you, I suppose"

Ah, looks like she doesn't want me to go in there then, "Don't worry, I didn't bring any cheesecake this time..." She flashed me a disappointed look for a brief moment, my, what a dishonest person she is. "Instead, I brought something else... may I?" I say while pointing into the room, she just huffed and went back to reading her book.

I walked in as I please and went beside her, "How does this look?" I show her the Puck plush, "Why are you giving me this, I suppose?" "Well..." Why indeed, if I tell her I just want to give it to you, she'll probably reject it and kick me out, "It's been hard to get some actual advice on my sewing skills when people say 'What are you? An aunt or something?'. So I thought that you'd be better suited to ask for..."

"Hmph, those people just say as they please, I suppose..." Huh!? Did I actually do it? Have we finally found common ground! "It's well made and looks almost identical to Bubby, though Bubby's ears are more pointy and his feet are furrier..." Okay, what are you? A Puck connoisseur!?

"When did you make this, I suppose?"  
"Ah, I did it just the other night"

"Impressive, I suppose..." Yes! I just got praised, at this rate, we'll be best buds in no time! "Right then, could you hold onto that? I was planning on making another one, I'll come back to show you so we can compare them" Her eyes beamed as she faces away, "Is... is that really okay? I suppose..."

Hah, looks like she isn't that prideful when it comes to things she wants now is she, I was expecting her to go 'Hmph, if I really must, I suppose...' but looks like I've found a weak spot, time to take advantage, "If you let me crash here for a few minutes then I guess that's okay..." She only nods silently while marveling at the plush.

And so I was granted a permit into the library, lucky me. I stayed in the library for a little over a few minutes, getting my hands on any book that seemed to catch my eye, including that one about magic algorithms. They all proved to be somewhat useful but were so complex that I couldn't grasp the concept in a single read, so I made a note to come back during my free time to read back on them.

"Hey..." She called out to me, "Yeah? What is it" I turn around and was met with her facing me, an indifferent look was painted on her face, "Could it be possible... that you're the person Betty has been waiting for?" The person she has been waiting for? Must be the person Roswaal was talking about this morning, a person that she was to pass the library onto.

"That person..." Sorry Beatrice, but, "Is not me..." I can't be the person you're talking about, "I see..." For a moment, even though it was for a brief moment, I felt like she was going to cry, bawl her eyes out, scream out in frustration, but all she did was sigh, "Of course, I suppose..."

Looks like she wasn't expecting much of an answer anyway, still, she must be pretty bummed out, might as well comfort her, "I've heard a bit of it from Roswaal... there have been people claiming to be this person your waiting for, but you rejected them, right?"

"So he's told you about it, I suppose... Yes, Betty has rejected every single one of them... their pleas, those worthless pleas... they meant nothing to Betty, if anything, it mocks the very contract that bounds Betty to this library, each time one comes in, they give Betty just a little bit of hope, but they were all the same, no different from the last, honestly, it's frustrating..."

"Huh, I get what you mean... people coming to you, claiming that they can help you... I met a bunch of people like those, the moment when things turn south for them, they dump you and bail out, using you as some sort of item. Seriously, all of their eyes are the same, eyes that mock you, thinking your some weakling who can't fend for themselves, thinking they can use you as they want as long as they play pretend..."

"You met people like that, I suppose?"

"Too many to count, each and every one of them even worse than the last... help find a place to settle down, they say, help get a huge grab from an easy job, they say, all of them just using me as they wish... I despise them... but more than that, I despise myself for falling for it almost everytime... there was even this one time... no, I probably shouldn't spill this one on you..."

"After going so far? Come on, you can tell Betty, I suppose"  
"Promise you won't think of me badly?"  
"A spirit never breaks her promises, I suppose..."

"There was this one time... I was invited to join in on the witch cult..." hearing this her eyes widened in shock, "They said I was bathed in the smell of the witch, that I belonged in that place... they even had my gospel ready and everything..." "D-Did you accept them? I suppose..." she said in a slightly fearful tone, "Accept the people who slaughtered everything I cherished and loved? I don't think any level of depression would get me to do that... Betelgeuse was his name, I spat at him and made a mad dash out of that place, I was able to escape but lost a dear friend as a cost..."

"..."

"Sorry for dumping all that onto you, must be really annoying hearing a depressed man cry out all his problems..." I say while getting up, "I'm gonna go and sleep now... sorry for taking your time, Beatrice..." I walked over to the door and looked back.

Beatrice sighed as she looked at me, "A depressed man you are... feel free to come back anytime, I suppose" She said with a smile on her face. Looks like I can say we're friends now, right? "Then, next time, I'll let you cry out all your problems to me, hehe"

"What kind of great spirit would do that, I suppose!? Though, I may take you up on that offer... someday..."  
"Night then, Beatrice..."

* * *

 **A/N**

Currently on a trip and stupid little me forgot to inform yall, sorry... Chapter uploads will be on burst mode now, two or three chapters at once, but the time between will be extended because Internet is a scarce resource over here.

Yall remember Lyra? Yeah, she died while helping Subaru escape Betelgeuse in this story, something you should remember for Arc 3.

Also, this is officially the longest word count I've reached in a single chapter, 7300 words!

 **Basscus  
** _ **The Cake was NOT a lie  
Will Subaru get his ass beaten by Julius or will he give Julius a run for his money?  
Again great chapter looking forward to your next upda**_ **te**

He got a good match against Elsa, pretty sure Julius would get a good one as well… though, it might not even happen since I doubt this Subaru would belittle the knights, then again, he is Pride… But let's not talk about arc 3, he's got bigger problems right now...

 **Tales from Puck  
** _ **Ok. This was a very informative chapter. I now know how to make mayonnaise. The maids and Puck still don't trust Subaru. this leaves the question: will Subaru remain with the camp?  
The answer may seem obvious but his personality is not the same. the only real reason he joined her was because of the witch cult. When he's introduced to the other candidates I can see him siding with them for a loop.  
I love this chapter. keep up the work and make Typhon proud!**_

Hmm, looks like someone's being very observant… him siding with another camp would be very possible, and it would be very beneficial for him, would he do it, I wonder...

I think Typhon will be more thrilled with pictures included, gonna have to work on those...


	8. Arc 2: Interlude 1

**Uploading date: 6/3/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 2: An Everlasting Week**_

 **Interlude 1: Assassination Sister's Meeting**

.

In a darkened shack, there was a woman. She was licking her bloodied blade while lying down on a what could be a pile of dead corpses. "Mmmh… I only get to dance with you if you go out of bounds… how troubling…" She said in a depressed manner. She stabbed her blade into the one of the corpses and let it stick there, blood leaking out.

She heard the door open, "Ah… so you're back? Meili…" A cyan haired girl walked in, she looked like a normal village girl, but something was definitely different between her and the others. "Ya, and I made a lot of new friends, Petra-chan is my best friend now!"

She chimed and went over to the woman, "Hey Elsa, do you have any friends?" The woman, who was now, undoubtedly Elsa, sighed at her question, not the fed up kind of sigh, it was more of the romantic kind, "All my dance partners are friends… though, some are better than the others… I really just want to dance with them some more..."

"Then, I'll introduce you to my friends! Since both our jobs happen near the same location anyway" Meili said while petting something on her hand, a dog it seems. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Meili… I'm suppose to only show my presence when he I'm told to. For now, all I can do is lurk in the shadows… how undignified…"

The two looked over at the rising moon, the time for the next calamity is approaching near...

.

 **A/N**

Super short, I know, but before that…

"Nani? Elsa-san is here too? I have to write a review telling how plot twisty that is!" That's what you might be saying, if it's not, then please think about that right now, it was one of the only things that I thought of when I wrote this chapter…

Also, it reminds me of why I wanted to write a Re zero fanfiction, to kill the depression of post anime spoilers, and to socialize, the latter still a little lacking… if you know what I mean…

 _I now sit shamefully in the corner for having to write that..._

 **If I could begin to be  
** **It's sweet, Beatrice bonding with Subaru**

Two peas in a pod, I'd say they are… it's also to pay tribute to the only Beatrice-centric story in the whole world, you could probably find it somewhere down the list if you search it up in the Re zero section of


	9. Arc 2: Chapter 4

**Uploading date: 7/5/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 2: An Everlasting Week**_

 **Chapter 4: Start of the inevitable**

* * *

"Hwaaah…" A huge yawn escaped my mouth as the next morning dawned on me, luckily this time, I hadn't woken up too early. "Haircut day… I guess…" I hopped of the bed and did the my usual morning stretches. I headed for the closet and grabbed my butler's uniform out, heading for the bathing room immediately.

"Ah, morning Rem!"

I passed by Rem in the hallway and greeted her wholeheartedly, though, she only replied with a cold stare. She really doesn't want to hide her suspicion now does she? "I'm watching you… Subaru-kun…" Yeah, she's not gonna trust me anytime soon, probably shouldn't have played along with her paranoia yesterday. "Of course… well, I'm gonna take a quick dip now!"

I sped through the remainder of the hallway and entered the bathing room, checking around to see if Rem was peeking around the corner, which she, fortunately, wasn't doing. That would have been way too obvious. I walked inside and I could already feel the steam from the bath hitting my face, warm and cozy, that's what it felt like.

"Why~ hello there, Subaru-kun…"  
"Ros-chi?"

After hearing that voice, I forced my way through the steam and I was met with the clowny owner of the house, Roswaal, "Come in, there's room for more~" He invited me, and I gladly accepted. I entered the bath foot first, not before I hung my clothes in the dryer of course.

"So, Subaru-kun, I hope you're having a swell time working for me here"  
"Yeah, it's pretty nice here… though, I think I've made an enemy…"

"Ah yes… Rem is~ not really fond of any new faces, especially ones that aren't from nobility, she really dislikes them as she has no reason to trust them, I think she might have taken it from Beatrice… with her rejecting any and everyone that had come for her. Apparently she has a surprisingly low self-esteem… me and Ram had tried but we couldn't get her to get over it… It's most likely an inferiority complex dragged on from when she was still little…"

Inferiority complex would make sense, I really want to know, but I'll be entering deep waters if I do, "Hey Ros-chi… I know it's none of my business but mind if you tell me about what happened to her village ten years ago?" Asking about it directly from her would make her even more suspicious of me and she most likely wouldn't even tell me about it. "I suppose a little bit wouldn't hurt… besides, you might find it intriguing…"

Okay, now I really want to know about her, "In essence, she's an oni, but to be more exact, both her and her older twin sister, are 'hornless' oni, or one-horned, as such, they were shunned by the whole village at birth, but when Ram showed incredible power, they had thought she was the reincarnation of the oni god in the myths, so she was allowed to stay, Rem was only allowed to live because they expected the same sort of power from her…"

"They were wrong… weren't they?"  
"Sadly, yes…"

The conversation took a turn into something a little more serious, I feel almost guilty for knowing this, "Ram was better than Rem in everything, the difference between them was as clear as night and day, she was even appointed as the villages next chief… but just the day after, their village was assaulted… by the witch cult…"

Just hearing that last part, made my heart ache, they were the same as me, made homeless by the same people, I clench my fist, hard enough that blood may very well be leaking out, "During the assault, all of the oni were slaughtered, burnt to death, all that was left was Ram, protecting Rem behind her, but even with her incredible power, she was still defeated and during the process, she lost her one and only horn… I happened to be near the area so I lended them a hand and saved them. The assailants had fled so I brought them back with me and they've been working ever since…"

"So… it was the smell that made her wary of me huh?" I say while loosening my body, Roswaal just nodded along with my sentiment, "Now that Ram had lost her horn, Rem is now more capable then her… am I right?"

"It is so… though it may just be my guess, she might feel guilty about what had happened to her sisters horn on that night, so she decides to take on much of the workload herself, possibly so that Ram wouldn't have a hard time, she even wakes up early and sleeps late to finish of chores before hand…"

"The red ogre's curse huh…"  
"Pardon…?"

"Just a story I read, two ogres were all on their own, siblings… they found a village one day and wanted to make friends, but the blue ogre was shunned off, the red ogre wanted his brother to get along with everyone so he started to rampage around the village, he had his brother come and stop him and got him away from the others. The blue ogre gained the village's trust but at the cost of the his brother's dignity, and as such, he feels guilt for being unable to get along with the village the first time…"

"Hmm… that story does describe the two very well…"

We stayed like that for a moment, letting the silence kick in, that was before Roswaal got up and out of the bath, "Well~ nothing we can do about it now… Subaru-kun, I trust you wouldn't sell this information to some third-party mercenary group, now would you?" Roswaal said jokingly.

"Of course not… right now, I feel like I'd betray my own village if I give this away…"  
"Then~ I expect you to give it your all for today as well"

We then parted off, him going to directly to his office while I head for the employees lounge, now, with a different opinion on Ram and Rem, "This feeling… is empathy right? I wouldn't want to pity them, that's just rude…" As I mumbled on to myself, I heard a foot tapping on the ground.

"If you have time to mumble out nonsense, then you could've gotten here quicker, Barusu…"

Ram was standing by the door to the employee's lounge, looking quite impatient, was I late? "Ah, Sorry, Nee-san… Guess Roswaal kept me in the bath for a little too long..." Ram went on inside and I followed, Rem was there as well looking normal and all. We did a quick brief on today's schedule and we were supposed to visit the village for restocking supplies.

"So, since we need to restock, we'll prepare breakfast early" Ram explained to us, both me and Rem nodded along and after quickly going through the rest, we were off with our first duty, which was to prepare breakfast immediately. The three of us headed over to the kitchen and started off with our cooking.

I peeled off the vegetables one by one, being careful not to cut my finger in the process. It was a task I never got used to as when I was traveling on my own, I'd eat any and all fruits or vegetables raw, eating the peel away with it. You never know when you're gonna eat next, so better make yourself full while you can, is the thought I had back then.

Ram seemed to be steaming some fresh yams which I heard were her specialty, either it's the best thing she can make or the only thing she can make, since I've never really tasted anything Ram makes, it's Rem who always makes the food, we just prepare the ingredients and ready the cooking utensils for her.

While we were busy preparing the main and the side dishes, Rem was making the drinks, and by the amount of fruit she has, it seems she's making a mixed fruit juice of sorts, something I'd love to try, good thing I got Emilia to let us dine in with her, I feel like giving myself a pat in the back for that.

"We'll let the steamed yams cool down for a while, Rem, Barusu, you two inform everyone of breakfast, I'll bring over the tray myself once everything's done"

"Roger, Nee-san!"  
"Yes, Nee-sama!"

We both left the food to Ram as we rushed outside the, I could hear Ram letting out a satisfied sigh as I closed the door, is she really that proud of her steamed yams, I thought, or maybe it was the fact that we were doing things more efficiently?

"Rem, you go get Emilia and Roswaal, I'll bring Beatrice along," I say to her as we headed our way. The moment we left the kitchen, her gaze turned cold once again, she doesn't stop, doesn't she, "What makes you think she'll follow along?" she asks me in return.

"Why you say? Cause she's my friend now!" I proclaimed rather triumphantly, her gaze narrowed at me, "How can you be so sure about that? Don't tell me Beatrice-sama said that herself…" I doubt that would ever happen, a person with that personality would never admit it openly like that.

"Well she told me I could come to visit anytime, if that doesn't count me at least an acquaintance, I don't think anything will"  
"Interesting, how did you do it, I wonder? Did you threaten her, blackmail her perhaps?"

She said such harsh words with such seriousness, I feel like i'm the thing she resents the most, "I gave her a doll that looks like Puck, and she seemed to like it, I said I was going to make another so she said I could come back anytime I want, if I remember correctly, that's what happened last night…"

"Heh, so Subaru-kun ended up bribing Beatrice-sama, unforgivable…"  
"H-Hey, I didn't bribe her, she that through her own free will, don't point the blame at innocent little me!"

"What's with all the racket, I suppose! And don't go talking about Betty behind my back, it's irritating, you know!"

Speak of the devil, Beatrice made her appearance as a door beside us was slammed open, the great spirit showing us a displeased and frustrated face, it seemed like she was trying to eavesdrop but couldn't get the gist of our conversation, "Ah, Beatrice, I was looking for you, breakfast is a little early today, hope you don't mind?"

"Early, I suppose? Fine then, Betty shall go ahead and wait in the dining room…"

She leaves the library and closes the door behind her, heading towards the direction of the dining room. Rem just looked on dumbfounded, seeing Beatrice act like that isn't a normal sight her isn't it. I then took a glance at her sleeves, and I could make out a gray tail popping out of it, "Yo, Beatrice, you're bringing the plush with you...?"

Hearing me say that, she froze in place, it seems I hit another weakspot, "S-So… so what if I'm bringing it, I suppose?" She blurted out in a stuttered voice, looking back in a quite flustered manner. "I am the one that made it you know… also, you're not gonna show that to everyone are you? Ram was one thing, but if Roswaal and Emilia find it it's a whole other!"

"Calm your bottoms, I suppose, Betty only wishes to compare the doll to Bubby to see how accurate it is"

Ah, so she was just doing that, I was getting worried she'd betray me the day after we became friends, "Also, how long do you think the next one would be done, I suppose?" She asked me out of curiosity, or maybe she was just that eager to get her hands on another one, "I was planning on making the next one tonight, I have to get some wool first, though, It might be a bit late at night, you sure you'll be up by then?"

"Hmph, sleep isn't something a great spirit such as Betty needs to worry about, I suppose?"  
"Then I'll promise to make it in time"

"So you've even gone as far as to plan a lover's rendezvous? Subaru-kun is a sly womanizer, Rem must warn Nee-sama, Emilia-sama has most likely fallen for his clutches already…" she said in a despairing voice. Beatrice then heated up, her face turning scarlet, "L-Lover's rend- Watch your tongue younger twin maid! Betty only finds this doll of Bubby interesting, it has nothing to do with him at all!"

I came and sided with her as well, "Yeah, Rem Nee, don't make light of this, I'm serious about improving my skills in sewing you know? Also, don't tease Beatrice too much would you?" I say while I did a single pat on Beatrice's head, her shivering at the touch.

"Hmm… Rem apologizes, Beatrice-sama, Rem was just a little overwhelmed by the sudden events so Rem couldn't help it…" she said with a slight smirk on her face, hidden by her bowing posture, "I know you're smiling under there, I suppose!"

.

Beatrice went on her way and we continued on with our search. Rem went to fetch Emilia while I went over to Roswaal's office, which was pretty far from where I was. After walking the whole way, I finally made it in front of his door and I knocked, "Yo, Ros-chi, mind if I come in?"

"Come~ in, Subaru-kun…"

I opened the door slowly and peeked inside, the room was dimly lit, with only the morning sun rays entering through the large window lighting up the room. Most of it was blocked up by a large chair, that was faced away from it, someone sat on it, in a rather comfortable way, Roswaal. Looks like something you'd see in an evil organisation.

"So breakfast is~ early today, I heard?"  
"Yeah, we need to head over to the village soon…"  
"Then, show the way, Subaru-kun"

I, along with Roswaal went out of the room, and down the stairs, I've already memorized the mansion's layout by now, every single room, every single facility, it's all in a mental map in my head. "Subaru-kun… I've heard you helped Emilia-sama voice~ out her thoughts, no?"

"If you're talking about dining together being mandatory, it's all my doing, using my charisma, I've inspired her to speak her mind freely! She gains her self confidence, I gain luxury dining for the rest of my life, quite a good trade if I do say so myself…"

I grinned over to Roswaal, he looked back mockingly, "Technically~ we are still under your debt so you could have just asked to dine with us, could you have not?" "Now where's the fun in that? I've had an infamous reputation for randomly spouting life lessons back in Kararagi, and I find that enjoyable you know?"

"My, my, we~ sure struck gold once we met you, the place has been the rowdiest it's ever been, even Beatrice is coming out of hiding to joining, I do hope you stay longer, Subaru-kun"

+"You can count me on that, Ros-chi"

Fast forward a few minutes and we were all in the dining table, since the servants were now supposed to dine in with the rest, they did. Roswaal was sitting in his usual seat, at the head of the table, Emilia sat to his right, Rem and Ram were to the right of her. I on the other hand, was opposite of the three, so was Beatrice and Puck, who sat directly beside me.

Breakfast went on without a hitch, and as I thought, the mayonnaise went great with Ram's steamed yams, Rem's mixed fruit juice also tasted exquisite, I have no regrets in using Emilia to my own benefits, though I do feel bad for her, and for Puck who has to look over her.

After we were done with all the dishes and discarding the leftovers, we geared up for our trip to the village and was just about to leave that's when I caught a glimpse of Beatrice walking down the hallway, "Hey, Beatrice!" I called over to her. She turned back and gave me an annoyed look, she walked over to us and replied, "What is it, I suppose?"

"We're headed over to the village, want me to get you something?"  
"Huh? Why would Betty need something from such a place...  
"Ah, come on don't be like that…"  
"Fine, bring back some sweets, I suppose…"

She left almost immediately, I didn't even have time to reply, I sigh as I turn back to my two colleagues, "Nee-sama, Nee-sama… Subaru-kun is getting special treatment from Beatrice-sama, could this be the work of some dark force?" "Rem, Rem, I'm sure there is some sort of witchery at play here…" The two joked on me, which just got me on my nerves.

We went on to the path, the walk should've taken about a few minutes, not a long walk, but it still felt boring, "So, how exactly did you manage to tame, Beatrice-sama, Barusu?" Ram asked, seemingly out of nowhere, "Well that's simple, I empathized her, after that, I guess you can saw we came to an understanding…"

"What do you mean when you say 'Empathize'..."

"It means what it means, she's had a bunch of people coming in with requests to take her and or the library, but she saw that they're requests we're as shallow as their resolve and rejected them, they were like false hope to her and each time another comes, it gets worse, something I understood well, so you can say we are similar in a way…"

"So, you're planning on taking her? That's what seems to be the case here, Barusu…"

"It's too late for that now… last night, she's already asked if I was the one she's been waiting for, and I told her I wasn't… so even if I wanted to take her or the library now, it would be a futile attempt…"

"She even asked you? Don't you think you should have accepted her?!" Rem questioned me, in a quite serious manner, she had a face of seriousness too, contrast to her usual cold gaze, "Accept her offer you say? Then… wouldn't that be the same as giving her false hope? Wouldn't I be the same as the other people she's rejected?" I replied with equal seriousness.

"But…"

"I can't give her what she wants, no one can, only the person she's waiting for can give her that… accepting her then would only provide a temporary escape from her problem, but there's a cost to that, once she realises, she's going to be struck with grief beyond compare, there's no point in accepting her in the first place if that's the outcome…"

"..."

The mood was severely ruined by that argument, Ram nudged Rem on the shoulder and she immediately bowed, "Subaru-kun, please fo-" "Don't even think about it…" I said nonchalantly, which made both Rem and Ram flinch, that single reply made them feel even worse, until "An argument's purpose is for opposing opinions to understand each other. Since you've understood my actions, then you have nothing to apologize for…"

I looked back to her, with a friendly, "You guys overreact to the most trivial of things, heh…" I went on forward, while the two behind me was a little surprised with my reaction, but nevertheless, the went on and followed behind.

"But if you still want to apologize, say it to Beatrice, not me…"

Once we reached the village, we went our different directions, they went to the local store while I went ahead to the barber. I opened the wooden door and was greeted by a silver bell ringing, "Yo, anyone here?" I walked in and a man came to see me, he was pretty big in the stomach region, and has a great mustache on him, "Ah, a customer, you're the new servant in Roswaal-sama's mansion, Subaru-san yes?"

This man was pretty informed about the mansion, must have been when Roswaal visited yesterday, "Yep, that's me!" he showed me over to the seats, and I was surprised, for a local village barber, this was a pretty darn good looking store, though, there was only one chair there.

"Ehe, we don't get too many customers around here, so we couldn't afford more…"

Well, even though it's one chair, there's a heck of a lot of things he put to it, I almost feel like this could be a barber fit for a lower noble, "Right then, I need a haircut that'll make the women scream, ya know what I mean?" The barber replied with a hearty laugh, all the while patting me in the back, "Of course, we men need to show our dominance!"

Not really what I was getting at but hey, love the enthusiasm. The haircut itself didn't really take much, my hair wasn't that long to begin with, all he did was stylize it and trim a few bit, what did take long was our conversation after. Once we were done I left with a smile and a killer haircut, "Baldrick-san is such a nice guy, if only the rest of the world were like him…"

I couldn't spot Ram and Rem anywhere, seems they were still busy with the shopping, either that or they went on without me, which I doubt they would. "Then, I guess I should go and get those sweets for Beatrice…" I walked around the village in search for a sweet store and met many people on the way, "It seems i've found one…"

I walked over to the not-too-shabby sweet store and opened the door, another silver bell rang, alerting everyone of my appearance, "Ah, you must be Subaru, the person Mathers-sama talked about yesterday, yeah?" A lady greeted me, she seemed to be in her forties. "Natsuki Subaru, nice to meet you!"

"Ah, you can call me Lisa. So, what will it be, Subaru?"  
"Give me all of your best sweets! There's a hungry princess back in the mansion"

"Oh dear…" Hearing that peaked her interest a little, "I didn't know Emilia-sama had a taste for sweets… "

"Oh, it's not for Emilia-sama, in fact, I think Emilia-sama's more of a prince than a princess… that's how it was when we first met anyway…" I remember back at the Capital, I was being mugged by three thugs, Emilia came out of nowhere and helped me out, like a knight in shining armor. No, no, no, don't think about it like that, it'd make me the princess in distress!

"There's another 'princess' in the mansion, she's a really hard and stubborn one, even though she claims to be matured, you can tell she's still just a child… I'm not sure how long Emilia-sama has been with her but they aren't really the closes bunch, you can say…"

"Oh dear…" I heard her mutter, her face was slowly turning into a face of shock, "How horrible, Emilia-sama… had to resort to adoption… and she doesn't even get well with the child, this world, such a cruel… cruel world…" She said with a genuinely sad tone. It took me a while but I realised there was a huge misunderstanding here.

"W-Wait! That's not what I meant, there was no adoption!"

* * *

After clearing out the big misunderstanding, we went on to a blame pulling spree, each of us refusing to blame the other for the cause of the misunderstanding, but in the end, it was resolved. She gave me the best of the best, and I gave her an extra copper for the great service. I left out, now with a large basket of sweets hung onto my arm.

To my surprise, Rem and Ram still weren't done with their shopping yet, "Seriously, and they call me slow?" I walk over to some shade and lay down there, the breeze cooled down my forehead, which was now free of that messy hair, the peace was pretty good, until it was broken by the sound of kids chattering, and the worrisome kind of chattering.

I followed their voices and I reached a fence, where they have grouped around, "Something wrong over here?" Voicing out my concern, the children looked over to me with eyes of despair. They looked to be around fourteen or fifteen, so kids may not be the best thing to describe them.

"Nii-san! Please help, this puppy got hurt!" One of the girls pleaded, she had chestnut hair with a ribbon attached to the top, I sighed and accepted. Walking over, I was shown to a cyan haired girl, in her arms was a small puppy, it had a bald spot on its head and it's legs seemed to be badly cut.

"Here, let me see…" I looked over to the puppy, it was pretty bad but not at all life threatening. I took out some bandages and wrapped up the wound after wiping it clean with some water. The blood soaked right through it though, this puppy bleeds a lot for its size. "Okay, you should keep this on for a while, if you guys know anyone that could use healing magic, have him treat the puppy, but if you can't, it'll just heal in a few days anyway…"

The kids all circled around the puppy, it seemed to be struggling a little bit less, the cyan haired girl who was holding the puppy, asked "Um, Onii-san, do you want to pet it?" Why wouldn't I want to pet that darn thing. I nodded to her request and stretched out my hands, the puppy stared at it with a weird expression on its face, like it was resisting an urge.

"Come on, it's okay…" The more my hands reached for him, the more it started to shake, somethings wrong with this puppy. Just as I was about to reach its head, it snapped at me viciously. I was able to pull my hand back fast enough, I anticipated something like it. It barked loudly as it tried to pry itself from the cyan girl's grip.

"Goodness! You're an ungrateful one aren't you…"

I gave the puppy a sharp stare, to which it replied with a slow but aggressive growl, something is definitely not right about this puppy. The children around me started to get scared, probably of me complaining about this to Roswaal or something like that, I do give the impression of a delinquent after all.

I sighed, "Well, I was never the kind to be liked by animals, hehe" I stood up and brushed off all the dust on my butler's uniform. The children seemed to calm down seeing that I didn't say anything harsh to them or the puppy, I wouldn't blame them for getting scared in the first place though, "Pups like you need to be pestered on, I'll be back tomorrow and mark my words, puppy, I will pet you! Even if I have to bring Ram Nee-san's steamed yams to do it!"

I said while pointing at the puppy in a manner that induced competition, the other kids then chuckled at my act and it seems like they were no longer scared of me, "Right then, see you, kids, later!" I waved the group goodbye and made my way back. The little act I pulled there caught a tiny bit of attention which was dismissed as the kids playing around.

But Lisa and Baldrick still came over to ask. Before they can say anything though, I whispered into their ears, "The puppy with the kids, please keep a watch on it, I don't know why, but something isn't right about it…" My guess would be it's actually a familiar, spying for someone far off, or it could have been exposed to extreme amounts of Miasma, which would turn it rouge in due time, or something else.

"I see… we will take your warning, Subaru-san…" The two of them nodded and I went off, it seems like Rem and Ram were finally done. "You two sure took your time didn't you?" I ask as I picked up my basket which I had dropped down to check on the kids.

"While we were here, I thought I'd be a good time to restock on firewood since we were running low, you didn't get bored did you Barusu? And also let me add, looking fancy there" she said while giving me a grin, pointing at my hair.

"Heh, Baldrick-san is such a great barber, you know, you guys should get your hair stylized too, trust me it's worth the money," I say while pointing back at them. Ram went and touched her hair, probably seeing if it's started to grow a little, "Yes, I might do that actually…"

"Rem is sure Nee-sama would look magnificent…"  
"Wouldn't that apply for you too?"  
"Rem wouldn't look good with a stylized haircut…"

Ram looked over at her sister in a quite depressed way, but sighed, "Barusu, we've put everything in this barrel, you're not going to a girl carry it now are you?" She said with a mocking smile, I stared down at her, challenge accepted, "A man is not a man if he doesn't prove it himself!" I roll up my sleeves and handed Rem the basket of sweets.

"Let's go…" I lifted up the barrel with my back, it feeling like it could shatter at any moment, but I braved through the pain and went onwards like a man would.

.

"Wouldn't it be better to use a spell to transport that, Barusu?" Ram asked me while she watched from the front, mocking me, "A man doesn't do shortcuts, Ram, not when he's in a challenge… I 'll bring it the whole way through, barehanded…" I say while lagging a little behind.

"You're holding to your pride really tight there, Barusu…"  
"Subaru-kun and Nee-sama, are getting along very well…"

"Hah, that's only because I'm always helping you out on her chores, and most of the time it's me doing the work and you watching from the sidelines!" I complained while shifting the weight of the barrel, "How else am I supposed to give you remarks on your skills Barusu?"

"Eh? Really, you were assessing my skills?"  
"That's what I said"  
"Ah, then…"

"You amount to almost nothing skill wise, the only thing you've given is mayonnaise…"

At that moment I felt my heart break, the hurdle was too high for me to jump, but, I did my best, if that's all I'm able to do, then so be it, "Then… maybe I should have asked Roswaal for some spare cash and get the heck out of here…" I say while dropping my shoulders down, Rem just shook her head.

"You overreact to the most trivial things, Barusu, I was only joking, your skills are satisfactory and are actually pretty good for your first try, so stop getting all depressed about it"

"Nee-san, who said you could steal my catchphrase!"  
"It was yours? Well finders keepers then"

* * *

After all our bickering, we had finally made it to the gate of the mansion, where I dropped the heavy barrel and all of its contents, just how much firewood did they get?! "Good job Subaru-kun, Rem shall take it from here…" Rem gives the basket over to Ram and takes the barrel with her inside, single-handedly mind you.

"Gaah, she really is an oni…"  
"You know?"

Ram questioned me, looking a little worried, "Ah, yeah… kinda asked about it from Roswaal, I also kinda know abit about what happened to you… horn and stuff… should I not have asked?" she shook her head.

"Whether you know or not doesn't matter, just promise not to ever tell Rem about it…"  
"Alright… Nee-san, can you send over the basket over to Beatrice? I need to take a bath, I'm soaked in sweat right now…"

"As you wish, we'll go ahead and prepare lunch, also, we haven't made you any spare butler clothes yet, so you're going to have to use your own clothes for today, okay?

"I'm okay with that…"

We both entered the mansion and went our separate ways, I went directly into the bathing room while Ram went to find Beatrice. I soaked inside for a pretty long time, letting my sore muscles relax in the steaming water. "Work hard, relax hard… that's not how the saying goes but no one really cares…"

After taking my long dip in the bath, I went back to my room and wore my usual Kararagi Lugnica hybrid attire, "That names too long, so i'll call it the KaraLug outfit… yeah, it has a nice ring to it" I wore everything, except my oversized belt, and went on to the kitchen. Apparently, they were already finished with preparing everything so we just went to eat already.

The seating plan was the usual, only this time, "Beatrice isn't here?" I asked Ram, who was supposed to send over the sweets to her, "She said she wouldn't be coming for lunch right after looking at the contents of the basket, Barusu…" God, did I give her too many sweets? She's not gonna hole up in there and finish it all by herself, is she?

"And I bought it for all of us to share too…"

Since Beatrice was absent, we went on with our lunch, without any problem. Much less of the mayonnaise was gone, and much less bickering, it was a silent and calm eating session. Puck still finished most of the leftovers, Emilia ate till she was full, and I consumed the most mayonnaise out of anyone.

We all cleaned everything up and had our one hour break. Before I left the kitchen, I saw the tea set that was in Beatrice's library. "Guess it was empty, guess I'll brew some and have tea with her…" I went back inside the kitchen and brewed some tea really quick and grabbed two tea cups, one for each of us, and abruptly left.

Outside, I was met with Puck, him looking at the tea set, "Going to see Betty, Subaru?" I nodded in reply, "You can't have sweets without tea, it's like a universal rule, right?" The gray cat agreed with me and wanted to tag along, which I happily accepted.

I walked down the hallway until I reached a particular door, a special feeling drew, an ability that I had to sense Beatrice's gate crossing, "This one seems to be it, Subaru…" "Shall we then?" I knocked on the door and called out to Beatrice, "Yo, Beatrice, I've got some tea, Puck's here as well, wanna have some?"

There was no reply from the inside, did I somehow get the wrong door? "Beatrice? We're coming in okay…?" I looked over at Puck and he looked back to me with a worried expression. We slowly opened the door and to our surprise, we were greeted with an empty stool, no one sitting on it.

"Beatrice?!"  
"Betty!?"

We both called out in worry as we burst into the library, the tea set nearly falling. I hurriedly placed the tea set on the table and looked around the room, she was nowhere to be found. I started to panic, she rarely leaves the library so why is she not here, something must have happened. "Subaru! I've found her…"

Puck called from across the library, I ran over to him and he showed me to a bed. On that bed was the little spirit, sleeping comfily, without a care in the world, "So we worried over nothing, huh…" I looked over beside her bed, the basket of sweets were there, only, there were no sweets left. She must have eaten too much and gotten tired.

"Who knew such a sight existed…" What we saw could be said to be the complete embodiment of cuteness, truly, you'd never think a person with her attitude to be cute, but then you see this, a peaceful scene that enraptures one's heart, "Ah well, there goes our tea time, guess i'll have to try again later…"

After Puck tucked her in properly, we both left the library, leaving the spirit to her dream. I wonder if she'll be able to make it to tonight's rendezvous, well, I'll make the Puck plush anway.

.

The rest of the day was uneventful. We did the rest of our chores and had dinner, I checked on Beatrice once more and she was still sleeping so she skipped on it too. After nine, everyone was left to themselves, Roswaal was in his study with Ram, not sure what they're doing, probably reporting on my efficiency and stuff. Rem's probably doing laundry, Emilia's probably already in bed, well, Ram bought me some wool so I can get started on that Puck doll.

"Then, let the sewing start!"

I brought out a sewing kit Rem gave me to aid in my practice, how nice of her to give it to me when clearly she doesn't like me. I spent quite a while on it but ultimately finished. I took her critics on the fluffiness of his fur in certain areas and I do see an improvement, I'm not sure if perfecting a plush is something to get excited about but right now, I don't care.

I got off my seat and walked out of my room, checking out the push on my hand, "I'm sure everyone's gonna think I'm pathetic for being proud at myself for doing this…" I glanced over at the clock and saw that it was eleven, I spent a total of two hours on this thing, a little less than last time.

Rem should be sleeping by now and I'm getting drowsy myself, but I did promise I'd make it to the library regardless of whether she's awake or not, and spirits take promises very seriously, can't let her down now.

As I walked down the hallway, I felt a present watch me, and it was obvious who it was, I could practically smell her. "Rem… I know you're out there, don't you think this has gotten out of hand?" I say while looking back. Rem has faint witch miasma stuck on her, most probably due to pursuing witch cultists, her sister has even fainter, it's almost unnoticeable unless I get really close to her.

"If you want, you can come to see Bea-" I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest, it stopped my from uttering any more words and I collapsed.

"..."

Rem didn't move from where she was, did she does this to me? Did she plan this all along? Was I playing into her hands! "R-Rem… he… lp…" She didn't respond to me, so she really did do this. My whole body felt numb, my mind felt nauseous, just what did she do to me?!

"You poisoned me… didn't you..."  
"A…"

She hesitated in her reply, then she really must have done it, and the fact that she's not helping makes it even more plausible. It must have been during lunch when I wasn't looking, she must have put slow acting poison in my cup somehow. But enough of this, I can't be bothered to do this right now, I have a promise to fulfill and I'm not going to fail. I'll deal with her next time.

"Screw… this…" I felt my body get weaker by the second, but I forced myself up and made a run for it, "Wai…" she tried to say, but nothing left more left her mouth, you're feeling guilty now? Of all times to grief why now, why did you realize too late, that I was on your side!

"Gah!" I stumped my foot and fell head first to the ground all my senses going numb now, all I could do was see, and what the hell kind of sight I got.

"W-Who…"

In front of me was a the little spirit I was supposed to meet with, the look on her face, it was the exact same as the one I saw when I told her I wasn't the person she was waiting for, only this time, it was shown on her face, the urge to scream, the urge to cry, it was well defined on her face, how happy I was to see her.

"Why-"  
"Here…"

I grabbed her hand and put the Puck plush I had been working on for the night on it, and then I let go, coughing out blood onto the floor, she just looked at it in astonishment, "But!" "A promise is a promise, I don't break mine…" I smile as I say this to her, but my smile faded, "Enough of this now…"

I closed my eyes, never to be opened again in this world. The last thing I saw was the look on Beatrice's face, a face that was just about to cry, but I know Beatrice wouldn't cry, she's strong enough for this, she's strong, she's great, but she's a lonely spirit, that single fact won't change, at least in this world, a world where I no longer exist.

'I wonder how Emilia and the rest would react…' that was the last thought I had before I lost my life.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Back in my shadowy escape, I was alive, well and alive. I was in deep thought as the girl in front of me stared, "So… the problem is because I provoked Rem yesterday right?" I asked the shadowy girl, Satella, and she nodded to me.

"Then it's all my fault this happened…"

I felt Satella grab my shoulders and move her mouth onto my ears, a weird feeling, like a cold flame was being brushed over my skin, calming but eerie. "Cu-" She tried to utter out something but she shook and phased through me, she still can't talk yet.

I looked back, "Cu… is that the type of poison she used?" I ask Satella who was trying to recover from that sudden shock to her whole being, she did a hesitant nod which I interpreted at, "Kinda, huh… alright then, guess I'll be going in for round two… wish me luck" My consciousness started to disappear from the shadowy world, escaping back into reality.

Satella clasped her hands and tilted her head downwards, as if praying for my safety, though my safety is almost always compromised. Another loop starts, now, a sneaky murderer in a mansion.

.

 **A/N**

I've reflected on death scenes from Perpetual Promise, I made the reactions of characters less exaggerated and more in-depth, more complex, or something like that. Betty is now mad, next chapter is going to be fun, I suppose…

The next biggest chapter I've made at 7,600 words! Woot! Shall we celebrate by praising the alcutey Betty?

 **Tales of Puck  
** **At least we know that Beatrice is going to be safe. Beatrice is going to be safe, right?... ReviewR524.  
Beatrice is the embodiment of cuteness and is for all to share but... I don't want her to end up everywhere. cough cough arc 4 cough.**

A message from Betty of the future, "Your concern is appreciated, I suppose… but mind your own business!" Psst, that's something from next chapter. Anyway… I'm sure she's going to be fine… she's probably going to be fine… I mean, what's to worry about, it's not like anyone's targeting her right? Seriously though, she's a great loli spirit, have some faith in her will ya?


	10. Arc 2: Interlude 2

**Uploading date: 7/9/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 2: An Everlasting Week**_

 **Interlude 2: Little, Great, but Lonely spirit**

 _A little reminder, read this from Beatrice's point of view, and remember that she has barely made contact with Rem since Subaru came in the mansion, thus her attitude towards her in this chapter._

* * *

"Why… why!"

The little spirit murmured to the boy lying in front of her, lifeless and cold. She nudged the boy, as bits of blood seeped out from his closed mouth, she pleaded, "Tell me why…? Why did you do this…!" The boy didn't answer her, he didn't even twitch, he was dead after all.

Beatrice drooped down on the floor, the doll in her hand sinking down to the tiny pool of blood, tainting it's fur red. Was her hopes betrayed? Why did she look forward to meeting this boy so much, why didn't she just let him be, all of this pain could have been avoided, she should have never trusted him. The reason she feels like this, it's his fault after all.

"No…"

She whispered to herself. The corpse reeked of something, something other than blood and death. Beatrice went over to his hand and brought it close to her face, she could see a small scratch on it, not noticeable at all, black smoke was leaking out of it, remnants of a curse. "It's all my fault…"

 _-Earlier that day-_

Beatrice was in her library, sitting on the stool, kicking her legs in the air, she seemed really happy for some reason, "I wish night time could just hurry itself, I suppose…" The library wasn't as silent as always, it was filled with the sound of Beatrice's horrid whistling, it could be called one of her, 'uncute' traits.

"Someone's calling, I suppose…" She senses someone on the other side of the door, it's most likely Subaru with her sweets, she couldn't help but smile, this was the first time in a long while that she's felt anticipation, "You're late, I sup-" She opened up the door using magic but to her astonishment, the one who greeted her wasn't Subaru, it was Ram.

"Expecting someone else, Beatrice-sama?"

Indeed she was, her anticipation was shot down with intense disappointment, but she's not really sure why she's disappointed, she wanted the sweets after all. She let out a dissatisfied sigh as she asked the maid "Where's Subaru, I suppose?" Ram was taken aback by the sudden question, she didn't expect her to ask so directly, it's not like her.

"Barusu is soaked up in sweat so he's in the bath right now, he's asked me to pass this on to you…" Ram had on her a large basket with what she thought, was filled with sweets. 'He bought that many?' Beatrice said to herself as she raised her hand, using magic to pull the basket from Ram's hand.

She took a look inside the basket and was beyond astonished, there was hell of a lot of sweets in there, and they were of really good quality, not something you'd expect from a village, 'I see… you're planning on having Betty share, I suppose…' A devious grin formed in her face, hidden from Ram's sight by her shortness, "I won't play into your hands, I suppose…" she whispered to no one in particular.

"Beatrice-sama, we are having lunch soon, will you be joining us?"

"Hmm, I think I'll pass for lunch, I suppose, I might come for dinner"

Beatrice turned around and brought the basket back with her inside, Ram looked at her with a bit of suspicion, "You've changed quite a lot, Beatrice-sama… did something happen?" Ram asked as she was about to close the door. Beatrice just stopped in her tracks, not looking back, "Nothing's changed, older maid… it's always been like this… I'm just using the most out of him before he disappoints me, just like the others…"

She said with a voice full of monotony, the way she said that line made one think that she's said it over a thousand times and to over a hundred different people. "It's not good to judge people on a whim, Beatrice-sama…" Ram replied, in a way that makes it sound like advice, but from an inexperienced person. "Then… please tell the same thing to you're sister, I suppose…"

The sudden mention of Rem made Ram a little on edge, "All of you annoy me to some extent, even Bubby sometimes, but the younger sister has been a little extra annoying recently…" Ram immediately bowed, and pleaded, "Please, forgive my sister, whatever she's done, I beg you to forgive her, she means no ill will to you, I can assure you…" She said desperately, she knows how powerful Beatrice is, getting her mad isn't something she wants to do.

"She hasn't 'done' anything, that's not what's annoying me, it's the way she looks at Subaru"

Ram lifted her head, from what Beatrice was telling her, it seems that her younger sister has gotten a little more aggressive with monitoring Subaru, indeed if this persists then she might not be able to control herself and take unnecessary actions, "I understand, Beatrice-sama, I will restrain Rem as to make sure nothing gets out of hand"

"That's not the problem, I suppose… didn't you hear what I just said? It's the way she looks at Subaru, Betty dislikes it when a fr… an acquaintance gets shunned at for no apparent reason, you feel the same, don't you, I suppose?"

Beatriced turned her head to face Ram, the pressure she released was extreme, overwhelming even for Ram, "I… I'll try in my best to get Rem to trust Barusu, Beatrice-sama…" She said while bowing, she then closed the door, clutching her heart, she didn't know that Beatrice could be this terrifying.

Once the door closed, Beatrice let out a huge sigh, "Hmph, they all overreact to the most trivial of things, I suppose… Now that the pest is gone, I can finally start…" Beatrice ran over to her bed and made a big leap, bringing the basket in with her. Eyeing at all the different kinds of sweets inside, she could feel her saliva glands acting up, this might as well be one of the best days of her life to count.

"Thanks for the food, I suppose" was what she said, before she lost herself to her eating spree. She didn't say it to anyone in particular but it seems to be aimed at the boy that wasn't present at the moment

She kept on eating and eating until she finished every last one of the cakes, "Stuffed… I suppose…" Beatrice laid down on her bed, even though she ate all those sweets, it doesn't seem she's gained any fat, spirits don't change their form because of biological factors after all.

"Hwaaawh…" For the first time in you can say forever, Beatrice yawned, she feels sleepy for once, "Impossible… I suppose…" She rested her head on the pillow, it feels oddly comfortable for some reason, it's never felt this good before. Why does it feel nice all of a sudden, she doesn't know.

"Hmph, might as well take a nap… I'll wake up in time for the doll, I suppose…"

And so she drifted into sleep, a deep and calming sleep. After lunch, she was visited by Subaru and Puck, though she was unaware of it. Right before dinner, Subaru visited again and took the empty basket away, then no one else visited and she was left to herself, still alone.

She sleep soundly for half a day and she woke up an hour before midnight. She stretched her arms out and let out another yawn, what a good sleep she had, "Hmph, looks like I slept a little too much... I suppose…" she got off her bed and surveyed the surroundings, noticing first off that her sweet basket has disappeared and the first thought that came to mind was.

"Gah! Did he walk in and see Betty's divine sleeping face, I suppose! No, impossible… Betty made sure that no one was to enter the library during my slumber… but Bubby can still enter, no Bubby would never betray Betty, I suppose!"

She walked down the isle of books, still feeling a tinge of drowsiness in her eyes, not caring about the fact that many of the isles have been sorted and cleaned, which is unusual, since she never lets any of the maids into the library. She walks over to her table and to her surprise, a tea set was there.

"Did Bubby bring tea? No… Bubby can't carry a tray this big… and Bubby never brings Betty tea! Unforgivable, so that man really has trespassed into Betty's domain! Even though he doesn't seem to be the type to do any perverted things… coming into a woman's room unnanounced is a crime, I suppose! Though… I might forgive him if he lends me the new doll he promised on working on… I **might** , I suppose"

She pushes her stool over to the table and sits down, pouring herself some tea, "Betty shall indulge in his kindness in the meantime, I suppose…" She could tell it was about to strike eleven soon, if he doesn't make it by then, she'll just check to see if he's either still working on it or fallen asleep during the process.

"Hmph, it's most likely going to be the latter, I suppose…"

She continued to sip her tea in the silent, lifeless library, her legs swinging back and forth was the only movement there was. Being alone is painful, she thought, but there's no helping it when it's part of the contract, she is a spirit after all, "Betty should just shut up and endure it, I suppose…"

She secretly enjoys Subaru's presence in the library, despite her attempts at ignoring his very existence whenever she's around him. It makes her feel calm, and it tells her that she isn't the only one suffering false hope, he is someone that can relate just a little with her, even though it's just a little, anything would beat four-hundred-years of isolation.

"If only you were the one, I suppose…"

She remembered that time she asked him if he was the one she has been tasked in waiting for, she knew she was just spelling herself trouble by asking that but she had to know, because once that was all cleared up, she won't need to think of him critically anymore and she then she can start to get to know him, be his friend.

"And it went well, I suppose"

She puffed out triumphantly, and then she let out a sigh, "It's taking him a while, guess I'll go out of my way and check on him, I suppose" she said in a rather supercilious manner. She gets off her stool, sets her teacup down on the tray, and walks out of the library, leaving the door open behind her.

She treads down the hallway, heading in a certain direction, but then she heard a voice "Screw… this…" she heard a voice exclaim, and it was most definitely Subaru's,"Wai-" another voice, a hesitant one followed after. Then she heard a rush of footsteps approaching her, Did someone find out about the doll? Heh, that's how he reacts, I suppose?" Beatrice jokingly thought to herself as she obliviously walks over to the sound of the footsteps.

Just as she was able to see him in turning the corner, he fell down, tumbling straight to her feet. At first, she thought he was just clumsily rushing over, and was too tired to get up immediately, but once she felt the air of weakness he gave off, she knew something was wrong.

She saw him struggling to move forward, the look on his eyes was that of death, he was dying, dying right in front of her, "Who…" she let out, not brave enough to utter the rest of the question of fear that it was true. She couldn't move her body, not while witnessing this scene, not while she was expecting something else.

"Why-"

"Here…"

She moved her hand to him, in case it wasn't too late to save him, but he grabbed it. His hands felt cold, icy cold, but calming nonetheless. She could see that he was happy she was there, for whatever reason, she doesn't know. He placed a doll in her hand as he slumped down, the moment she saw this, her heart split in two.

"But!"

"Promises… I don't break mine…"

His eyes closed as he coughed up blood, Beatrice could only watch as the scene unfolded, her face twisting in terror. This was the worst possible scenario, why was this happening? What did she do to have fate lashback this badly?

She herself fell to her knees, the utmost amount of rage was filling her heart, her very soul, and a single teardrop fell from her eyes, once it touched the ground, the whole mansion, even though it was only for a brief moment, was filled hatred, sadness, and many more negative emotions, all stemming from the little spirit.

The huge pressure she created alerted everyone in the mansion, Emilia, Ram, even Roswaal awoken to the burst of emotion.

Beatrice just stayed there, staring lifelessly at Subaru's corpse, cursing herself silently as her hands holding the Puck doll trembled.

By the time everyone made it, it was around half past eleven, Emilia was completely aghast, Ram was frozen in fear and probably regret, while Roswaal just looked over with sadness and a tinge of disappointment. Was I too late on holding Rem back? Ram thought, while Emilia just muttered out, "Why… why… why…"

Roswaal was the first one to take a grip on the situation and turned over to Rem who was beside Emilia, "Rem… did you perhaps-" "Betty has had enough of this!" Beatrice said while stomping her foot, "Again, Betty was too late to do anything!" she this time she pulled on her drills, "They always go away!" now she slammed her hands into the ground. Her violent actions shocked everyone, especially Rem. "Enough of this…"

She turned around and walked away, "Beatrice, you're not planning on going are you?" "I am… don't even think of following…" She snapped back at him rather coldly, it scared Ram the most, "Beatrice-sama, please, Rem-"

"He was killed by a curse, older maid… in this mansion, only Betty has the skill to cast such a spell, and I haven't made any physical contact with him today, the only explanation is that the killer is in the village, meaning he got it when he went to get sweets for me…"

She said, not knowing exactly why he was going to the village in the first place, she wish she's known, so she didn't have to mention him buying her sweets. She had dropped of her usual 'I suppose' and was speaking serious, it was probably the most serious she's been in a while, "Then if the killer is in the village, I as the lord mu-"

"I won't be having that… I will go and take care of it, I won't allow any of you to follow me…"

She said while glaring back sharply at them all, "Beatrice-sama… please... let Rem accompany you!" Rem said hesitantly, Beatrice could only look in astonishment, but reverted back to her glare as she turned around, a rip in space appearing in front of her, "Your concern is appreciated, I suppose… but mind your own business…" She said the former with a dry laugh and the latter with a sharp hiss, it frightened Rem.

"Your face isn't filled with guilt, or sympathy, nor sadness... it's full of disappointment, disappointment due to the fact that he wasn't what you thought he was. That's why you hesitated to help him in the last moment, it's because you were so ingrained on the fact that he was in the bad that you couldn't bring yourself to help him, I won't accept help from a person like that..."

And with that she went through the rift, the others could clearly see that the village was on the other side, Rem couldn't move, Ram was shocked beyond compare, and Roswaal, he was just stuck there. Only Emilia chased after Beatrice and she had successfully made it through the rift. Ram tried to stop her but the rift closed before she could even move an inch.

"Roswaal-sama, we have to-"

"That won't do Ram…"

Roswaal replied with a depressed tone, almost as if he's lost all hope, "If we follow her, she's going to fight us back, maybe even kill us if she's that serious, and seeing that she's pushing the bounds in her contract, she's more than serious enough… we'll just have to hope for the best…" Ram looked down, there truly was nothing they could do, she glanced over at Rem, who was eye widened and looking at the ground in shame, muttering out curses to herself.

* * *

"Hey, Beatrice wai- the portal closed?"

"I'll only allow you to tag along, the other's better stay put in the mansion…"

Beatrice moved on forward, the village was in a riot, people were out with torches calling out names. Emilia went up to them and asked, "Everyone, what's happening? Why are you all here at this time of night?" they all one by one noticed Emilia, and the first one to come to her was the village chief, an old woman.

"Emilia-sama… it seems the village kids have gone missing, we can't find them anywhere… please, will you aid us…"

The old woman pleaded to Emilia, who could only nod while saying, "Of course!" Beatrice was beside her and she blurted out, "It must be related to the killer that's able to curse, does anyone here have any clue as to where they are?!" the latter part was shouted out in a really loud voice, almost ear shattering actually.

From the crowd that gathered around the two, a lady and a man came out, it was Lisa and Baldrick, the people Subaru met just yesterday. They walked up to the two and told them, "Subaru-san told us this morning that the dogs the kids were playing with was suspicious and told us to keep an eye on it…"

"The kids were playing with the dog by the fence this evening and were suddenly gone"

Just hearing his name made both Emilia and Beatrice shudder in pain, the one who passed away already knew of the incident before them. Lisa showed Emilia and Beatrice to the site the kids were last spotted and they were brought to the fence Subaru met them in this morning.

"This is where we saw them last…"

Emilia and Beatrice looked around, she confirmed the trace of a Yin magic user in the area and Emilia found out that one of the barrier stones on the trees were shut down. "Then, it must have been the dog… Emilia, you stay here and restore the barrier stone…" Beatrice said while narrowing her eyes down at the forest.

"What will you do?"

"I'm taking vengeance…"

And with that, Beatrice started walking to the forest, surprising everyone at the scene, "Emilia-sama! We're not really letting her go on her own are we?!" Lisa worriedly asked Emilia, who could only look at Beatrice with uneasiness, "She won't let anyone come with her, she even snapped at Roswaal… we can only pray for her and the kids safety…"

Lisa looked back at Beatrice as she started to enter the forest, alone, and she thought, is she the 'princess' Subaru was talking about?

.

As Beatrice was walking through the forest, following the curse's scent, she had one thing repeated in her mind, "Kill the one that cursed Subaru… kill the one that killed her hope" she repeated it, as if she could kill just by saying that, her voice sharp as a needle. Through the brushes and thick grass she was able to glimpse something, a red ribbon, probably from one of the village girls.

"Lucas! Please, just hold on!" After hearing her voice she confirmed that it was indeed a village girl and she appeared before them,

"What happened, I suppose" She said, trying to be as calm as possible, which proved to be difficult as her heart was rage filled. Beatrice didn't need the girl to answer though, it was obvious what had happened, the boy with her was cursed, but it was still in the early stages, she should be able to ease the pain while she finds the assailant.

She holds her hand out and a blue orb appears on top of the boy, his face of anguish soon calmed down, Beatrice looked around, all was forests and there was no clear way of returning back to the village safely, "You, help your friend up and follow me… how many more of you are there?" She said while continuing on into the forest, the girl helping the boy up and quickly following behind Beatrice, clearly scared.

"F-Five more, they went ahead…"

Beatrice sighed as she followed the scent, she really doesn't want to be dragged down by these kids, but she's not about to just leave them here and die, "Whatever happens, stay close, I suppose… unless you want to die…" the girl with the ribbon shivered at Beatrice's warning, and quickly sided closer to her.

Then, the bushes started rumbling, dragging both Beatrice and the girl's attention to it, and the next moment, an Ulgram leapt from it, intending to maul the two apart. Petra could only watch as her face twisted in terror, while Beatrice narrowed her eyes at it. "You're not the one…" She whispered, and the beast was suddenly slammed to the ground, a crater forming where it landed.

"Betty advises you to look away…" and that the girl did, next thing she knows, the sound of crushing bones and tearing flesh was all she heard, and the whimpering of the mabeast stopped. The girl didn't even think of looking at what Beatrice had done to the beast, she was too terrified to see.

"Come, I suppose…"

Beatrice went forward, the girl behind her scurrying quickly. Feeling pity for the girl who is scared out of her pants, she decides to try and calm her down, "What's your name? And how long has it been since your friend has been unconscious?" it caught the girl by surprise, but she seemed a bit happy Beatrice.

"P-Petra, my name is Petra… and Lucas was like this after we got split from everyone, that wasn't long I think…"

"Then your other friends probably still have time to if they got inflicted by the curse too…"

Petra didn't quite understand the situation fully, so she decides to ask Beatrice, "Um, excuse me…" "Beatrice, I suppose… remember it, this might as well be the only time your going to see me..." she informed her with a monotone sigh. "Beatrice… do you know what's happening right now?" Beatrice stopped and looked around, she could sense several curses, freshly casted to that, it'll only be a matter of time before they fall down to mana loss.

"We've spotted a killer, I suppose… we may think it's the dog you were playing with this morning…"

"A killer… wait the dog? H-How did you know about the dog, Beatrice, I didn't see you at the village this morning…"

"You know of a man named Subaru? A butler, scary eyes, he was holding a basket this morning, he told me that you guys were playing with a dog and said that it was acting suspicious…"

Just saying his name made her feel weak, worthless, "The Onii-san from this morning…" Petra replied. Beatrice went through some ferns and bushes until she stopped at the edge of a cliff, a steep drop down was what she saw, but there was something else. Four kids were laying down unconscious, while one lay with a pack of Ulgram surrounding her, it wasn't the aggressive type of stance they had, more like an obedient one.

"So one was a mabeast user?"

Petra made it over with Lucas to the cliff and froze up, "B-Beatrice-chan… we're not going to jump are we?" but before she could say anymore, Beatrice grabbed her hand and leapt straight off the cliff, "Kyaaaa!" Petra screeched out as she hung onto Beatrice like a lost child to her mother. The Ulgram at the bottom of the cliff noticed Beatrice and started barking endlessly, annoying Beatrice beyond compare.

"None of you are the one!"

With her hands outstretched she chanted out a spell and conjured spikes of crystallized mana in the air, the spikes shot out with near sonic speeds. The beasts were powerless as the spikes homed on them, impaling them in several different places, Petra had her eyes shut as they both descended down, slowing down for some reason unknown to Petra.

"Hmph…" The moment Beatrice's foot touched the ground, and astounding amount of force was exerted down on everyone that wasn't a human child. Beatrice opened a rift behind her and shoved Petra through, Lucas was next, "Emilia, take care of them, I suppose. The killer is still here somewhere"

"Okay, Beatrice, please stay safe!"

She ignored the half elf as she shot the other four kids through the rift, then closing it, now she was alone again. "So, which one of you is the curse bearer, I suppose…" She walked forward, but more specifically, she was walking towards the cyan haired girl that was surrounded by Ulgram.

The girl was wary of Beatrice and from the forest, several more Ulgrams joined in on the fray and rushed towards Beatrice, their mouths gaping and ready to snap at Beatrice, but with nothing more than a simple finger gesture, she flung them all off their feet. She then chanted again, and all of them were shot through with spikes, easily killing five to six of them.

The others whimpered in the ground as they were slowly dying of blood loss, "Tell me, I suppose… which one of you cursed Subaru!" More Ulgrams came out of hiding but were simply pinned to the ground by Beatrice's magic, the very ground the stood on started to crumble at the sheer force of the spell.

The girl was now aware that Beatrice was a big threat to her, and wasn't going to get away with a simple apology. "Go!" She commanded the remaining Ulgram to charge for her and they obeyed. All at once, they rushed at her, but before the first one could reach her, "Shamak" she shot out a blast of black smoke at them, the smoke split up and targeted each one them, engulfing them.

At first glance, the spell was the same as Subaru's, but the way she executed it, making it split and home at her targets, that alone shows her mastery of the spell, a feat that Subaru had dreamed of achieving.

The Ulgram stopped in their tracks as they succumbed to the darkness. Beatrice moved towards the girl who could only scramble back in fear. "Bring me the one…" Beatrice tone was dark, bloody rage shown through her butterfly pupils. The cyan haired girl was lifted up by the neck and was pinned to tree, Beatrice stayed a good distance away while her other spells kept the Ulgrams down.

"Even if you don't tell Betty, I can still track him down… now please, I don't want slaughter a poor, mislead girl like you…" Beatrice said in a tone that could only be understood as pity, but the girl replied with a struggling voice, "Betty… friends, shouldn't… hurt each other… ya know…"

Just that single statement nearly blew the switch of in Beatrice, "Friend…?! Don't screw with me… Betty's only friend lost his life to your pup, don't go talking about friends…" the grip on the girls neck and limbs tighten, it was clear that Beatrice was going to choke her soon. "Call the dog…"

The girl struggled even more, tears of pain streaming down her face, no doubt about it, any longer and she'd suffocate. "Then have it your way… I suppose…"

Beatrice was about to land the final blow when, "That'd be problematic…" she heard a voice say and she instantly chanted, "Kardese!" Beatrice clasped her hands together, a bright purple barrier spawned around her and two knives bounced off, most likely from the owner of the voice.

She saw a shadow move in the forest and the next thing she knows, the girl she was strangling had escaped already. She looked around and found her, being carried by a woman donned in a purple black dress, one which let's the owner move with ease.

"Hmph, no mistaking it, the Gut hunter has come to finish her job… is that right?" Beatrice asked the lady of the night who could only reply with a giggle, "To think that even a little girl would know of my name… surprises even me…" the woman, now revealing herself to be Elsa, took out another knife, preparing for battle.

"Though both this job and the last one had the same objective… the targets are completely different…"

She pointed her knife at Beatrice, "If you're thinking of ending Subaru, then you're already too late, I suppose" Beatrice chanted and shot out several spikes at Elsa, who ran and dodged them. She threw the cyan haired girl up in the air and an Ulgram came and grabbed her, running off into the distance.

The other Ulgrams surrounded Beatrice, seems they are on Elsa's side, but there was something that caught Beatrice's eye, a puppy was in the group of Ulgram surrounding her, and it reeked of the curse that killed Subaru, "You're the one!" Beatrice said in anger, she faced the pup who sneered at her.

Elsa then made her move, "Looking away during a fight is-" before Elsa could utter another syllable, she froze, so did all the other Ulgram. The only one unaffected by this was Beatrice, the root of the problem.

"Only Betty has the leisure to talk in a time like this, now all of you can die quickly, you are of no interest to me…" she had literally stopped time.

Suddenly, as if an invisible blade had been summoned, everyone, Elsa, the Ulgram, they were all sliced in half, only Beatrice and the puppy remained. Time then resumed and blood was spilt everywhere, Beatrice made sure not to get her dress dirty and so she made her way to the puppy, who only growled insanely at her.

"Wipe that look of your face, I suppose…" she slammed the puppy to a tree, it whimpered in pain but did not cease it's barking, "I'll make you cower in fear…" before Beatrice could attack though, the puppy had undergone a transformation. It's cute eyes turned into demonic glares, it's tiny legs became sturdy and large, and it's teeth turned to fangs.

"How pitiful…" The alpha Ulgram stomped it's feet on the ground, causing it to burst out as it head over to Beatrice. It's eyes was like an animal looking down on a hopeless ant, it ticked her of, "Learn your place…"

Without evenoving a muscle, Beatrice slammed the ground in on itself, completely nullifying it. "I'll show you my anger…" and with the snap of her finger, she instantly ripped off one of it's front limbs, making it fall to the ground, withering in pain.

"You're a bad little girl!" As Beatrice was busy amputating the Ulgram, Elsa, who was supposed to be dead, lunged at Beatrice and sliced at her back, but she turned to smoke in an instant, disappearing. "Little ones are always so rowdy…" Elsa said in motherly like tone.

"Funny though, to Betty, you are the child that needs disciplining, I suppose. On the count that Betty is most likely hundreds of years older than you…"

Beatrice reappeared behind Elsa and slammed her to the Ulgram, the pinning them both to the ground, "Betty heard you were a vampire, I was planning on bringing you to Emilia, but it seems I'll have to end right here, right now…"

Elsa was still stick in the ground, unable to say anything, then, Beatrice chanted "Ul-Minya…" blue light surrounded both Elsa and the Ulgram, with Beatrice clasping her hand, it ensnared them, and after releasing her hand, it erupted into an incandescent explosion, lighting up the night sky as it travelled upwards. It startled everyone in the village and even the maids in the mansion could see it.

Beatrice sighed as her anger died down, but deep inside she was still frustrated, alas there was nothing she could do about it. She decided to walk back to the village taking a glimpse at the rising sun, she noticed that she had been gone for quite a while, and she also noted that it has been a while since she has seen the sun Dawn.

Once she returned to the village, she was showered with worried looks, a little girl tainted with dirt and blood isn't exactly a calming thing. They all asked what happened and if she was okay, but she ignored them all.

She went to check on the kids, making sure they were all fine, which Emilia confirms. Once she told her about Elsa and the mabeast user she decided to finally take her leave, but she was stopped by Lisa, the sweets shop owner. "What do you need, I suppose?"

"Beatrice-sama, we can't thank you enough for what you've done, please accept this, it's the village's finest sweets…" She looked at the lady eye widened, was fate taunting her? "Sorry for making assumptions but Subaru came last afternoon and told me that the person he bought the sweets for that day really enjoyed them… so I…"

"Betty shouldn't have let him in, I suppose…" Beatrice started murmuring to himself, "If only I knew I was digging my own grave… thanks, I appreciate the thanks…" She grabbed the basket from the woman, her hands slightly trembling. This was unbefitting for the great spirit, but she couldn't help it.

"Emilia!" Beatrice calls out, regaining her composure, "This may as well be the last time we meet, I wish you luck with the election… and please send Subaru my regards…"

Before Emilia was able to reply, Beatrice was already gone. Through a rift, she entered the library and she sank down, a heavy feeling spawning in her chest, a lashback for stretching the boundaries of her contract.

It was an uncomfortable feeling but she indulged in it, she blames herself for Subaru's death, if she hadn't slept, no, if she hadn't been so selfish as to ask for sweets, maybe, things would have ended differently.

"I'll accept my fate, mother… but the fate that I have chosen…" she could feel the tears streaming down her face, what she said to Emilia was serious, she has disconnected the library from mansion, with the added fact that she lost a huge amount of mana, at most she could survive for a couple of years, if the person who should come doesn't, then let it be.

"This world… is no longer worth living for"

* * *

A/N

I really want to hear Beatrice say that line "Friend? Don't screw with me…", if my Japanese is correct it should go, **"Tomodachi?! Huzakenjaneiza…"**

Probably never going to happen though…

Beatrice is now beyond depressed and she also missed on Subaru's funeral, how sad… told you to faith in le all powerful Betty, Tales of Puck.

MNR-AMR

 **You are certainly getting better at writing this! Aah, I can't wait to see the very first chapter that exceeds 10k words from you… Also, Hi! You'll be seeing more from me now, more or less. o7 ReviewR.**

Let's all do our best! o7

Also, mind if I ask what AMR stands for? I know what MNR is but the latter three character doesn't ring a bell.


	11. Arc 2: Chapter 5

**Uploading date: 7/17/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 2: An Everlasting Week**_

 **Chapter 5: The Meeting that changes Fate**

* * *

I slowly opened up my eyes weakly, returning by death isn't a very pleasant feeling, I'm reminded of that every single time I due. I looked around and see that I was in my room, a servant's bedroom, clean as always "I returned to the second day here… so then I get poisoned tomorrow and die…" I fell down on my chair, palm to my head, step one is to not provoke Rem, then it's to avoid eating food from her, after that, I should be good.

"At least, I hope it's that easy… fate has never gone easy on me…"

I don't feel like taking a bath now, my guards too raised. Instead, I got up and looked over to the table, the puck plush catching my eye, "I'll stay with Beatrice for three hours, get my thoughts around…" To my knowledge, if I stay long enough, she'll probably ask if I'm the person she's waiting for again.

"Then I'll just refuse it again..." I also grabbed my sack and opened up the door, leaving quickly. If I hang around for too long, Rem would catch on to my scent, I did just Return by death, after all, still, I'm surprised Oni are able to smell Miasma, then again, they were attacked by the witch cult when they were younger, they may be special.

"Ram probably can't detect it because her horns been cut off… Roswaal doesn't seem like he noticed it all, neither has Beatrice nor has Puck, guess that means that Rem is the only one… well, shouldn't worry about it too much…"

I walk down the hallway, examining each door as I pass by them, and then I reach the one, "I'm getting better and better at this…" I opened up the door with a polite knock, and I was met with an annoyed grunt, "What do you want? And how did you find the right door, I suppose?!" the all too familiar Beatrice greeted me with an extra bit of irritation.

"Morning Betty, I practiced a bunch of times before and it seems I can finally find it right this time, also, mind if I stay in a while?"  
"Don't call Betty Betty, I suppose! No one gave you permission!"  
"Sorry, just a slip of the tongue, let me try again… Morning Beatrice!"  
"Repeating it correctly won't make me let you in, I suppose!"

I slam the puck doll to her face, lightly of course, and closed the door behind me as I entered the library, "Come on, Rem's hunting me down and I need someone to take me under their wing, please?" I ask while dragging a chair over to her table, sitting down and pouring myself some tea.

She annoyingly rips the plush of her face and examines it, looking over to me with a puff, "It'd be a pain now that you've already indulged yourself in Betty's tea, I suppose" So, I'm guessing that's an 'I don't care anymore' kinda response, looks like a win for me. "And why would the younger maid want with you, I suppose? Don't try to bring Betty along with your mishaps"

"Well I haven't done anything yet, but she's been extra wary of me, I wouldn't want a misunderstanding to happen with me waking up really early, she could interpret it as snooping around or something like that, I'd imagine that's what she'd be thinking anyway..."

"True, anyone with looks like your would seem suspicious, I suppose…"

"Woah, hey now! That comment was unnecessary, Beatrice! It's not like I asked for my mom's scary eyes, tch… this stuff always happens, curse biological inheritance…" I pout it out while sipping tea from my tea cup, it seems rather warm, I wonder why? Either way, I enjoy it while time passes by.

"Even though, the way she has been acting has been 'above normal', I suppose… I can feel her getting more watchful by the second, she's even following the exact same path you did to come here, is her sense of smell that great, I wonder…?" Beatrice says while sipping some tea of her own, she looks over to me questioningly.

"Well, I didn't take a bath yet… but I think it's more than…" From my sac, I take out the box I'm super protective of and place it on the table. The moment, Beatrice laid her eyes on it, she nearly hurled her tea on the floor, "You… that's…." her surprised expression was expected, she thought I was some random nobody after all.

"I think it's finally time for an actual introduction… I'm Natsuki Subaru, I'm what you can call an apostle or sorts, the current heir to the witch of Pride, Typhon, glad to make your acquaintance…" I introduce myself in a proper fashion, this might as well be an inter clan meeting of sorts since I brought out the big guns, the box I mean.

"I see… does…"

"I've already told Roswaal, I think… it was yesterday, we had a discussion during our bath, he's an easy going guy when you get your act right…" I take another sip of tea while Beatrice goes to observe the box, something was obvious about it, "It's empty… that means…" she glances over to me, in an ever so cautious manner, "Things happened and luckily I was compatible… but thanks to that, now I've got this uncanny smell on me…"

"Explains a lot, I suppose…"

We stayed there in silence for a bit, once I ran out of tea to sip on I stood up and checked out some books from the back, as usual, either folk tale or tons of magic algorithm techniques that are out of my current grasp. We both read our books and minded our own business, until she finally spoke up, "Betty is an artificial spirit created by Echidna, I suppose… my last order was to watch over the library and hand it over to someone, some 'fated person' as Mother used to say… could you perhaps know of that person? Or, could you be that person, I suppose?"

There's the question, remembering last time, the way she asked it now was rather different, very formal compared to before. I guess it's because I revealed my standings in our little network, the fact that she isn't looking at me straight on this time tells me she's asking less cause she wants me to be the person and more like the thinks, I'm the person.

"Hard to tell really…" I considered her feelings when coming up with my answer, shooting her down like that is just mean, instead, i'll try something else, "My parents died when I was still pretty young, and the only reason I was able to really to understand anything about this witch business was because of my late grandfather and his notes, to tell you the truth, I've not been told by anyone to go pick up a library of books…"

"I see… then that's enoug-"  
"That's where you're wrong, see…"

I cut her off rather rudely, though, it didn't seem she minded it, she looked over at me with a skeptical look, "Betty doesn't understand, you said it yourself, no one has told you to come and take the library, it simply means you have no business with Betty, I suppose" She says matter of factly, but I sigh at her straight forward reasoning, "See this is what happens when you leave a secret message with a kid…"

"What was that, I suppose?!" looks like she's getting a little aggravated, better make this quick.

"Echidna is your creator, right? Witch of greed, or better yet, known as the thirst for knowledge. During her time she was the most famed witch, second only to the witch of envy. Some of my ancestors have had a run in with her, says she packs her sentences and deals with a whole lot of twists and turns, in short, she tends to hide her true intentions like that…"

"I don't follow, I suppose?"

"Let me ask you a question, I've heard that many people have tried to come and take the library away from you, but you've rejected every single one of them…" She scoffs at the last part, looks like she really didn't like them, "What was your judgment that lead you to reject them? If I were you, I might have just given it to one of them, as long as they seem to be somewhat… I don't know the word but you get me right?"

"Tch, all of them had deceiving eyes, I suppose… no, greedy, avaricious eyes would be more fitting, all they thought about was themselves and nothing else, entrusting them to the library would be foolish…" She replied sharply, how ironic, the thing that's bothering her is their greed, or wait, this might actually be a perfect match, since she was created by the witch of greed after all. "So, in your eyes, they were not eligible enough to gain all this knowledge yes?"

"That is right, I suppose…"

Now it's time for the part where I make her understand, "Now tell me the order Echidna gave you, and I want the exact wording she said it in, no holes or extra bits, just the pure order…" I say with a face of seriousness, it overwhelmed even her, and for a second, I thought she was just going to kick me out, but it seems she just listened instead.

"She told me… Protect the library, and wait for the 'fated person' to come… that is all she told me, I suppose"  
"If that's all she told you… then the judgment of who the person is up to you"  
"Exactly, I suppose… if Bett-"

"That's where you're wrong you know?" I cut her in, now's the time where she retorts and goes all 'what do you know?' it's even shown on her face. I should take caution now, "The previous people that you have refused all asked to be handed over the right to Echidna's knowledge, but you judged them on their 'Greed', correct…? And just now, you asked if I was the 'fated person'... what exactly lead you to judge that? I never asked for Echidna's knowledge, mind you…"

Things are getting a little tense and she realized the flaw in her judgment, "I thought that since you know about it, you might be the one…" There's the flaw, the fact that she's judging different people with different ideas, "You see where I'm getting at? Any of the other people before me could have known about the past as well, but you still rejected them, that's an error you've made"

A little bit of silence from her end, I continue, "And you've only met me for a day, heck, it's not even a few hours yet…" Though it feels a little more for me, "You can't judge my greed in that amount of time, so you made an error there as well… but more importantly, you didn't pay enough attention to the command she gave you…"

She gave me a perplexed expression, she's probably thinking something like, how else was I supposed to interpret it? "Echidna likes to hide meaning in her words, I said that right? You should know this more than anyone, she is your mother and all… on to the actual interpretation, she said 'fated person', it means that it could be anyone that comes in, and since it's 'fate' it doesn't matter if they want to take it or not, it doesn't matter if it's their greed or not, as long as it's fate, it should happen eventually…"

I take a glance at her face, she still doesn't get it, by the looks of it anyway, "What I'm trying to say is… if you rely on rational judgment, you'll never be able to find your 'fated person', Beatrice…" I say while closing in on her, a little awkward but I'm trying to get a point across, "Fate doesn't work on rational thinking, things happen for no reason, I know that more than anyone else, trust me…" that's because of Return by Death.

I backed up from her, I was a tad bit too close, hope she didn't notice it too much, "So if it's fate, you don't decide using your head, you use your heart…" Okay, that was a little cheesy, let me reword that, "In other words, if you feel like that person is the 'fated person' then throw any and all reasoning and go for it, for example, witch genes choose their user based on compatibility, there's no reasoning for someone like me to be compatible, but I took it in any way… understand?"

Back in my head, it sounded like some awesome explanation to some hard ass question, but in reality, I just said some lame and cheesy stuff like 'use your heart and not your head' and stuff like that, please, don't make this any more awkward, Beatrice. "What if fate says differently, I suppose?" She asks me, the question caught me off guard but I was prepared to answer it.

"If fate tells you otherwise… then bend it to your will!" I say in an exaggerated but rather zealous voice, "If anyone has bent fate before, it's me, I'll help you find your 'fated person', even if fate stands in your way!" okay that last part just sounded like something ripped off of a light novel, there must have been a better way around it.

She droops down, did this answer make her even more depressed than just straight up telling her no?! Did I mess up that badly? "Then…" she looks up to me, her voice clear as the morning sky, which was cloudy so her voice wasn't clear at all, "Would you please be the 'fated person' Betty has been waiting for…"

Looks like she finally gets it- "Wait, what?!" I look over to her in astonishment, did she actually just ask me that? "I'm not sure I heard that properly, so…" she sighs and stands up, "It's as Betty says, I suppose, I would like you to be the one that takes the library" I'm not just hearing things, she's actually asking me to take it! How am I supposed to reply? If I don't take it then I'll probably break her heart, if I do accept it though, I'll just be burdened with that mountain load of books.

"..." Shit, I've put myself in quite the predicament now have I, easiest way out isn't always the best way, so I'll go on with the whole lecturing thing, "If I were to say no… what exactly would you do?" I ask, in a tone that doesn't give away the answer, as if I would choose depending on the answer I gave her, and true to that, I'll answer depending on her reply.

"Simple, I suppose… as long as I feel like you're the person, I will pester you to no end. May fate be wrong, may you despise me for it, I believe you are the one most suited to be the 'fated person' that Betty awaits… no, I believe you to be the 'savior' Betty has been waiting for all this time…"

She shot those words with complete and utter determination, her pink butterfly eyes pierced through mine, I had my heart strings moved beyond compare, her words were even more powerful than mine! "So…?" something of this caliber, her eyes are blazing, she put all her heart into it, I can't overlook this as a mere request, she's determined beyond anything I've seen.

"I've got myself into some shit here…" I whisper to myself, inaudibly. I take into account what I'll get from this, the library itself is pretty much useless, but since she's the one housing all of the books then it means I have access to her gate crossing for a while, however long she wants to keep this library in Roswaal's mansion that is, on the downside, I'm probably not going to have anything to do with the books.

"I'm in a bit of a bundle as of right now… once I've cleared all that up, in my fourth… no, my fifth night here, I'll answer to your request…"

We look at each other, silently staring, until she nods, "I'm okay with that, I suppose…" I sigh, was really not in the mod to pamper a depressed spirit, but now that we've reached an understanding, I've got more time on my hands to focus on what's ahead. I open the door and leave Beatrice to herself, after taking back my box that is.

"Now that I've avoided that conversation with Rem, I should be in the clear for at least another day… I think Roswaal should be back by now, so it's probably safe for me to wander around… just gotta play around with them all and then hopefully, I'll be able to make it through the loop…"

* * *

 **A/N**

Hey guys, was sick for a looong while so yeah… shorter chapter compared to the rest...

You probably don't really care but I'm going to talk about my life for a while Alright? Okay! Let's go…  
I binged Darling in the Franxx and it's a lovely story and amidst the disturbingly adult metaphors, it's an innocent love story, still, quite a lot of talk about pistils and stamens and all that shit, don't make me go through sixth-grade biology again, please!

I also binged the current episodes of Black clover, and I gotta ask, anyone know the genre of music for the fourth opening? Also, Asta is the ideal kinda protagonist for me, minus his whole screaming of course. An op underdog that's belittled but doesn't give a shit, perfect protagonist!

Next is overlord I guess… then it's Fate / Heaven's feel part 1, only watched through half of it when there was a power outage and I practically forgot about it ever since, haaah...

 **MNR-AMR  
** **Seeing things from Beako's point of view, and knowing now that Subaru was, in fact, mistaken, (Why didn't he revive to see the aftermath?) does raise some interesting plotlines we can predict, to an extent. Aah... I'm tired atm, will see you at the next update!**

Why he didn't revive, in simple terms, his ability only works when he's alive. Why he didn't revive, in more complex terms, is a plot point for later on, having to do with the fact that he thought it was poison and not a curse.

 **Basscuss** **  
** **Just… Okay… Thanks for the chapter...I guess**

You're welcome and don't worry, there's less where that came from.

 **Tales from Puck** **  
Beako… I.. don't know how to respond to this. I tried to find comfort in the part where she pulled her hair but... being a visual reader, I couldn't help but see her in pain. You did well in this chapter. Thanks... I suppose.**

Yeah, glad the message went through. Hopefully, you won't have to see her go through that again any time soon.

 **Throlfe** **  
** **Are you going to do more chapters where we see what happens after Subaru dies? Because I really liked it!**

Hm, hmm… Probably sometime in the future, maybe once every two arcs, depends on whether it's relevant or not.

 **David** **  
** **I sincerely am very anxious about the next cap (if possible make a scene where Betty goes to the grave of Subaru and does some magic to have a brief conversation with him)**

Well… if your willing to wait, there **will** be a scene like that (already planned one)… but it's going to be a long wait…


	12. Arc 2: Chapter 6

**Uploading date: 8/16/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 2: An Everlasting Week**_

 **Chapter 6: A Poisonous Curse**

* * *

Closing the door behind me, I left the library with a sigh, "Reality distorting magic really is weird, felt like I've only been there for a few minutes but it's already a little over an hour..." I remarked while looking over at a nearby clock, it really has been over an hour, that means Roswaal should have returned, and I think Rem's going to wake up Ram.

"It's not five yet, so Puck is not awake, and Emilia-san is probably still asleep too... Looks like I'm on my own till six..." I really shouldn't have woken up so early, and I can't go back to the library after what just happened, that'd be awkward, should've snatched a book while I had the chance, damn it all.

I walk down the hallway, hands in my pockets, looking out at the window, the sun had already dawned but there was nothing to do, "At this rate, I might as well just nap for another hour..." And so the morning went on, with nothing actually happening.

I did bump into Rem, and we greeted each other, and to my relief, she didn't openly express her hostility, heck, she was even kind enough to ask how well I slept, but I knew she was wary. I have a knack for telling people's emotions through their eyes, a thing I got from my everyday life back in Kararagi, and Rem's eyes tells me that she isn't trusting me any time soon.

After a bit longer, Emilia woke up, guess Puck wakes her up in the morning after all. We met up and talked a bit, just idle chit chat, nothing really major happened, we didn't make mayonnaise, I wouldn't want to try her's anytime soon. I followed the usual course of action and soon, it was time to start working, and that was when things started to change. For starters, no one remarked about my hair being messy, and so we never planned on going to the village.

The next big change was that Roswaal never went to the village in the morning, for whatever reason, I have no idea. He holed up in his office doing paperwork or so I've been told. I'm not sure what could have changed his mind, but I think it has something to do with the fact that Rem and I never had our little 'conversation'.

Also, I regrettably didn't get to sway Emilia into having everyone eat on the table together, all that quality food, down the drain and into Puck's belly, I'll find another way to get it done, for sure.

And so the day went on, I got more chances to work with Rem, though neither of us really talked much, it was really hard working like that, doesn't she know that? Other than that, instead of spending time in the library for my breaks, like I usually do, I talked a bit more with Ram and Roswaal, though I did want to invite Rem over for some tea to ease over our relationship, I never got the chance.

After lunch, I assisted Rem in making the 'five hundred' batch of mayonnaise that she did make last time, I was useless, all I did was drag her down! She really is a demon, isn't she!

Beatrice just holed up in the library, probably contemplating on what I said in the morning. Man, I really should be careful with what I do from now on, the more things piled up on my back, the harder life is going to get, being a butler is already hard enough!

"Oh, the sun's setting... guess we should call it a day, huh, Rem-Nee?" I turn over to Rem, who was watching over my hedge cutting. Ram said I had to increase my 'utility' in order to be more useful so she had me do the thing I'm worst at, hedge trimming.

"You're right... it's time to prepare dinner, Subaru-kun, can you set up the table?"

"Yeah, sure..."

I dropped off the trimmers in my hand and went back in with Rem, this is much better, all that glaring nonsense and ignoring me, all unneeded. Man, I shouldn't have played with her paranoia to begin with, guess that was my bad. Anyway, we both went in and met up with Ram, and we split up to get the job done.

I opened the door to the dining room, and entered in with all the plates and drinking glasses, one wrong step and there's going to be a big mess around here. I place down two plates, since only two people will be using the dining table for dinner, that is counting both Beatrice and Puck out, I gotta get back in the group if i'm going to live my dream life!

Once I was done, I grabbed a broom and cleaned the room up a bit, it seems Ram forgot to do it earlier after lunch. To my surprise, while I was busy doing the cleaning, Beatrice managed to sneak in the room, she didn't say anything upon entering, and she stayed silent, until I finally noticed her, "B-Beatrice!? When did you get here..." I say obviously a little surprised.

"Around two minutes ago, I suppose..."

The thought of someone staring at me for two whole minutes while I go on doing my duties are a little nerve racking, and right after a tense conversation in the morning, just makes me feel a whole lot more uncomfortable. "So... you going to stay for dinner? We have mayonnaise by the way..."

She rested her chin on the table and, while twirling her long golden hair in her fingers, she replies "Then I'll stay a while, I suppose..." Woah, for some reason, I feel like her attitude had completely changed from what it was supposed to be. Okay, maybe not completely, but it was somewhat more, how do you put it? Considerate, or at least less rude.

"Is this how you usually act or am I getting special treatment..."

Risky move but I'm the daring type so why not? "Special treatment... is a big word, if Betty is expecting you to be my savior, I should at least be a little bit polite to you, am I wrong, I suppose?" She says it all without looking at me, cause it'd make me feel weird, but I reply with a calm, "I guess..."

But calling me her 'savior' makes it a little overwhelming, but it's understandable, I guess. Five hundred, or was it four hundred years? Whichever it was, she's been cramped in there for a little over 'too much time', and only just realized that there was another way to fulfill her job.

I put down another plate for her, since she's staying and all, and she replies with a, "Thanks..." how reassuring. All of a sudden, taking ownership of the library doesn't seem so bad now that I think about it. I proceed to put out the drinking glasses and a jug filled with water on to the table.

Continuing with my brooming, I left Beatrice to whatever she was doing, it was nice and peaceful I thought. "So what exactly happens in the next few days, I suppose?" The little spirit asked out of nowhere, and it made me flinch for a second or two.

"Why would you ask that, I wonder..."

"Is it not alright to worry, I suppose?!"

Her suddenly loud voice caught me off guard, but it lightened the mood a bit you can say, "Geez, you're so fussy about things... tomorrow, no... the next night, someone might die..." I blatantly put out, no sugar-coating whatsoever. I glimpsed at her and could see she was ever so slightly shocked, who wouldn't be.

"What exactly do you mean by might? I suppose..."

"Well... what do you think I mean?"

We managed to catch each other's eyes and stared for a bit, she was catching on. I'm sure my eyes screamed at her, 'I'm trying to stop them, obviously!' if she didn't get that, then she's better of torturing it out of me. "Then, do you need help?" she asked, raising her head from the table, but shaking it right after.

"No, that might have sounded greedy coming from someone like me..."

"Hehe, you don't say...? Well, I think it'd be best if I did this alone though..."

I started to walk to the door, in quick steps of course, "If the person is who I think it is... then all that's needed to resolve this is just me and them..." I open the door and step out staying there for a few seconds, thinking of something to say, and the only thing that popped up in my mind was, "Dinner coming soon so don't you go run off now ya hear?"

She gave me the 'Where did that come from?' kind of look, and replied, "Didn't I already say that I would stay for a while, I suppose? Spirits never go back on their words, you know" She said while giving me an annoyed look, what happened to the politeness she was talking about earlier? And you didn't exactly promise you'd stay, you know?

"Right then, guess I'll call over Emilia-san and Rossy"

And off I went, closing the door behind me. I first went to Emilia's room, politely knocking on her door and referring to her with -sama like any good servant should. She greeted me and she left shortly after. I then went over to bring over Roswaal, which was hard, he wasn't in his office, in the bathing room, he wasn't resting in his own room either. I went to ask Ram where in the world he could be and she told me that she'll go and fetch him instead, bet she won't though.

So I was once again left with Rem, more bonding time for the two of us, was what I thought, but she's already prepared the food so we had to go and serve already. The contents of today's dinner was unknown to me, I didn't really help them make it, after all.

We made it over to the dining room, and I opened the door, to my astonishment, Roswaal was already there, Ram too. It took us two minutes to get here from the kitchen, that's all it took for her to find 'and' bring him over, wait, don't tell me I'm expected to be able to find anyone in a matter of seconds, maybe this is what she meant when she said she was the mansion's eyes, scary...

"Ah, dinner smells~ great tonight..."

We walked in and I closed the door, another surprise, Beatrice wasn't rolling all around with a gray cut on her embrace for once, she sat silently on her chair, was this what she meant when she said she was going to be polite? I glance over to Puck who was seated on Emilia's shoulder, he gave me this, sad look, no, it was more like a pitiful look for some reason. Wait, was he pitying me?!

Rem proceeded to do the servings and dinner went on without a hitch. It was actually quiet for once, was this how it usually is around here, because this peculiar silence is actually quite unnerving to say the least. Well, the next king to the kingdom is in the room so I guess these things should be normal.

Once everyone was finished with their own shares, Puck gulped down all the leftovers, damn cat. Me and the twins take over, cleaning the table and washing the dishes, once that was all done with, it was our turn for dinner and just as I was about to leave the kitchen, Rem called me, "Subaru-kun, what would you like for dinner?"

She asked me what I'd like for dinner. Wait, did she really say that! "Uh... well..." She's always cooked for herself and Ram after we clean up, why is she suddenly wanting to add me to the list? Either way, this is a one in a lifetime chance, most likely "Anything that'll go well with mayonnaise I guess?" Oh no, she's already planning on poisoning me, isn't she?

I acted to fast, now I'm gonna die again, aren't I? "..." I watched as she went on with her work, could it really be or am I just being paranoid like her? Ram was busy putting down bowls for the three of us, was she on it too? I feel really stressed out now, I can't just tell them I'd rather not eat, not after basically telling them I'll join.

I watched as Rem chopped up a bunch of vegetables, throwing it in a pot with boiling water, she then reached over for the top cupboard grabbing out a jar, I'm sure it's filled with some sort of spice or something. "Oh… Nee-sama it seems we have run out…" she said rather disappointedly, and Ram replied with an even more disappointed sigh, "And I was really looking forward to it too…"

"Eh?"

Rem took hold of the pot, bringing it over to the sink, then flipping it upside down, throwing out all its contents, down in the drain. Wait, wait that's just wasting food, "Oi, don't just throw food like that, there are people out there who don't get to eat you know..." I said, rather aggravated.

"Hmm, I guess Barusu would think like that, he was just a wandering nobody before Roswaal took him in after all…" She shot me a face that could only be interpreted as mockery, I didn't want to say this Ram Nee-san, but you leave me no choice. "Well this 'wandering nobody' had to jump in to save a future candidate to the throne because 'someone' couldn't keep their eyes on her for a minute"

Her face was mortified as she stuttered out an excuse, "Kuh… y-you take that back Barusu, it's not easy looking after Emilia-sama while doing the shopping!" saying it in such a tone could only limit your credibility, Nee-san. "I bet I could go to the village with Emilia-san and restock with no problem at all" the way I said it, was almost mocking her.

"A village isn't nearly as large as a whole city, Subaru-kun…"  
"Ah come on, can't I have a handicap, senpai?"

We continued on with our playful banter, until Rem properly disposed of all that soupy goodness, well it was just vegetables in boiling water so there wasn't much goodness in them anyway. Ram decides to speak up, "Since you were spouting out about all that nonsense, what do you suppose we do now Barusu?" well, looks like my fellow colleagues have run out of ideas, guess it's time for me to be the reliable one for once.

"Well I could make some quick dishes back from my hometown, but of course, Rem-Nee will have to help me"  
"Using my little sister as a tool, I'll have to teach you a proper lesson Barusu…"  
"We both know the skill gap between me and Rem, and I know you want to eat Rem's cooking too Nee-san!"  
"Tch…"

And so with my masterful negotiations skills, I've acquired Rem as a pawn, in the kitchen at least, now I'm gonna amaze them with a wondrous buffet filled with Kararagian cuisines, "Is what I'd like to say… but we are low on stuff…" The two twins tilt their heads while I mutter out to myself. I'm not even sure if they have the necessary ingredients, but from what I know, we can make teriyaki sauce, and that's all we need.

"Get the stove ready you two, we're making fried salmon!"

* * *

It was a stomach filled dinner, and an amazing one to add. Who knew Rem's cooking could even excel mom's, though admittedly, it was a close battle. "Looks like I was paranoid after all…" I mutter while struggling to get up, we made lots, and we ate lots, the things she makes are just too good.

"It's decided, we'll be adding teriyaki sauce to the normal menu"  
"Ahh, an indirect praise from Ram Nee-san feels good once in a while…"  
"Did you say something, Barusu?"

Ram shot a very sharp glare my way, as if saying 'Don't think this is happening again', "I'll contribute some more tomorrow morning, so make sure you work up an appetite" Though I say that, I'm still gonna ask Rem to do the cooking, she's just too godly when it comes to that. "With that being said, guess it's time to get back to work then…"

Shortly after the kitchen clean up, we all went our separate ways, Ram seems to be headed to Roswaal's office, Rem went over to the other wing, and that leaves me. I was told to rake out the back lawn, there weren't many leaves to begin with, and moreover, I was told that I take the night off after, looks like they're being a little bit more friendly, thank goodness.

I take out a rake from the storage closet, and made my way outside, the cool breeze was refreshing, it wasn't a bad idea to spend the rest of the night gazing at the stars, speaking of which, my name was actually a star constellation. My parents were really into those things, but something tells me, it's not just a family preference. The more I think about it, the more universal it seems, and by that, I mean things relating to our so-called 'Witch community'.

It seems people with star names, or the more diverse term, astral names, have some sort of significance in them. My parent's name, they weren't related to stars in any way, neither were my grandparents, nor were my great-grandparents, and so on. For me to get a star name, it's pretty weird I thought, I do remember though, it was my grandfather that suggested that I be given a star name, whatever he meant by it, I'll probably never know.

But recently, I've been understanding it, bit by bit. "Regulus, Betelgeuse…" Those were names of Sin Archbishops, the known owns anyway, and what do know, their star names. I have the loose connection, that having a star name, means you have a better chance at hosting one or more of the nine witch genes, in my case, it was Pride, though you never know, I might be able to host more?

"Haaah…" I sigh as I spotted out my outpost for tonight, just in front of the gazebo scattered around, were leaves, time to rake them. I don't really know what significance that makes? Being a host of a witch gene, that is. If anything, it seems like it's a sort of curse, sent down from generation to generation, and doesn't seem like it would stop, it made me feel empty inside, that was, until I met 'her'.

She appeared in my dreams once, and talked to me, even if it was just a few words. Through consecutive dreaming, I've been able to carve out what she's been telling me. "The witch genes, are indeed a curse… they are sins, carried on from the last bearer to the next, in order to stop this never-ending loop, you have to stop the root of the problem… me…" It almost took a year for me to make up that sentence, her voice was weak, it was withered, and she could only say a handful of words in one session, so it was bound to be difficult.

But it bothered me, the part where I had to stop the root of the problem, I had no idea how to do such a thing. All I knew was that I had to end her, a simple slice to the throat, stab to the chest, anything like that would have been enough to kill a woman of her stature, but the problem is, I have to find her. I had no problem with killing her, I was given her consent after all, but that doesn't change the situation, I still didn't know how to get to her. And so I set of to search, I searched and searched, I didn't find any leads, but I realized something, something I felt really stupid to not have realised any sooner, 'she' was the Witch of envy, and right after that, I changed my objective.

"Man these leaves just keep falling now don't they…"

The moment I found out she was the witch, I understood everything, why I was named after a star, why I was given the genes, I understood it all. What my grandfather told me that day "A future i'll have to fight", I understood, why the witch cult attacked and destroyed all the remaining villages, I understood it all, every little bit of it.

"Even if did understand it, heh, it's not gonna make this my job any less hard… why can't fate go my way for once…"  
"What are you mumbling about, Subaru?"

I heard a voice behind me, and I turned back, Emilia greeting me with a smile on her face, such naivety, I was like that too once I guess. "Yo, Emilia-san, it's nothing… Just, you know, raking up these annoying leaves…" She nods her head as she watches me work on, like an onlooker would to a tense moment during a match, what's with all the nervousness, "You don't mind if I stay a while don't you, Subaru?"

"Not at all, though it wouldn't matter since you're my superior and all, hehe…" And so she sat down, crossed legged, closing her eyes, not exactly sure what's she's gonna do, but I have a hunch. Bright lights suddenly started appearing near Emilia, floating around her in a very, harmonious sway, she was talking to her spirits again.

Spirits are an existence that has a huge impact in some people's lives. For people that are unable to use magic, either the inability to formulate because of mana shortage, or the destruction of their gate, using spirits is a way to compensate. Spirit arts is the art of using spirits to manifest magic, instead of using your own gate, you use the spirit as a gate, and instead of using your own mana, you use atmospheric mana, or mana stored in said spirits. Stronger spirits also have consciousness so if your looking for a lifelong friend, you've got one.

In order to make a spirit yours, you must first befriend them, after that, you both have to make an agreement to form a contract, the strength of the contract depends on the consequences and conditions agreed to by the spirit and the contractor, and so, there are different types of contracts.

A basic contract would be just a simple mana connection, with no conditions whatsoever. These are used by people who simply want to own spirits, the connection is not strong enough to be a reliable for use of people use these kinds of contract when they want to find a store for their excess mana or when they want to borrow mana.

A boundless contract would have a few conditions but said conditions won't have any consequences, this is the standard contract made when someone wants to use spirit arts as a mean of using magic. Conditions won't interfere with other contracts the contractor or spirit may have and usually are usually light conditions, such as giving the spirit a fixed amount of mana at a specific interval or to give them attention a few times a week.

Finally, a bounded contract. These are contracts that include both conditions and consequences. The conditions are usually heavy and the consequences will interfere with the contractor's ability to form other contracts. These contracts can get in the way with boundless contracts so spiritualists don't favor these sort of contracts, to add, only higher ranking spirits can form these contracts, such as great spirits, artificial spirits, and mana spirits.

[Just a note (Minor spirits Quasi spirits Pseudo spirits Mana spirits Artificial spirits Great spirits) More info in A/N]

Emilia seems to have a bounded contract with Puck, and several boundless contracts with her minor spirits, she's a perfect example for a spirits art user. A perk spiritualists have is that they can cast magic without chanting, which is difficult if your a magic user, chants are used to make sure your mind is concentrated on a single spell, if your able to use chantless magic, then you must have some mental strength, in all my travels, I've only met a handful of people, myself included, but even though I could use chantless magic, it's only on simple spells.

"Those lights look pretty… maybe I should get myself a spirit…"

As I contemplate on that, my thoughts wander off, even then, I still raked the leaves, even though it was inefficient. Once Emilia was done with her spirit conversation, she pulled me back to reality and I realized that I had finished raking all the leaves as I was dazed.

I lay on the grass beside where Emilia sat, staring off into the sky, the dark yet star-filled sky. "It's a beautiful sight isn't it?" Emilia asks while gazing as well, I nodded to her and replied, "Being in the big bustling city, I doubt you'd be able to see this, not with all the bright lights, huh Emilia-san?" she nods back to me. This was a peaceful moment, I thought, if only this could go on for a little while longer.

"Emilia-san, i'm going to restock on ingredients later tomorrow, mind coming along? I could use an extra hand…"  
"Hmm, i'll see if I can make time, being cramped with studies does get kind of stressful at times…"

And with that, we've promised to meet up later in the next day. We split up, both going back to our respective rooms, tomorrow's the day of reckoning, I just hope I can keep up my friendliness with Rem until then, please put up with it, I really don't like dying. And then I went to bed.

.

Next morning, "Today's the day…" I get off the bed, and do my normal routine, stretches, bath, butler uniform. It seems i've woken up at a good time, Rem shouldn't feel suspicious, and it leaves me a good amount of time to improve my relationship with her, not that I had many chances to do so.

We passed the day rather quickly, breakfast went by, and with the addition of teriyaki sauce to the menu, Emilia's been eager to ask me for more of Kararagian food, which I happily replied with an "Of course" but then again, I still needed the ingredients, good thing I'm buying them later this afternoon.

"Okay, Ram, I'll go restock things in the village, mind making a list on what we need?"  
"I guess, give me a minute and I'll have it ready…"

I waited by the mansion entrance for Ram, that's when Emilia popped up, happy and excited, looks like she found time, "I'll be coming along, Subaru" she was wearing a different dress and her hair looked different too, "I didn't know Emilia-san was the fashion type" "Ah, no, I'm not really good with my looks so Puck has to do it for me…"

"Well, I have to say… good job Puck"

I shoot a thumbs up to the crystal in Emilia's and it glowed, as if shooting me back a thumbs up, Emilia didn't really understand it much. Ram then showed up with the list, she took a glance at Emilia, then gave me an annoyed look, a really annoyed look, "Ah, is something wrong Ram?" "Oh, don't worry Emilia-san, it's nothing at all… just a little competition…" I say with a rather smug face, Ram huffed away, even more irritated.

"Right then it's time to get going…"

I pushed open the mansion's gigantic doors and let Emilia out first, with me following closely behind. The afternoon gale wasn't bad at all, though the falling leaves kinda irritate me, it's only because i'll have to rake them up later tonight, but looking at them mid-air, it was a bewitching sight. We pass through the parade of falling leaves and make to the dirt path, the orange sunset making it seem more red than normal, but only added to the mood.

"Hmm… now that I think about it, this almost seems like a date, doesn't it, Emilia-san… even though we're just running errands"  
"Eh, I've never heard of that, what's a date Subaru?"

Are you serious, I thought you knew, "Puck, I know you're in there, please explain…" I bent over to the green crystal latched onto her chest, it flashed and a voice popped into my head, "She asked the question to you, so you answer it… Subaru..." Guess that's my fault.

"You see Emilia-san, a date is a sort of courtship, actually no, it's more of a test to see if courtship is possible you see?"  
"Ahh, I see, so it's like making sure if someone will accept a proposal or not"  
"Yes! That's it, you learn quickly Emilia-san, now, please forget what I said two minutes ago"

I say while speeding up front, "H-Hey! Subaru!" The jokes no longer funny if you don't get it, it's just gonna be awkward now, besides, I don't really want her misunderstanding anything, "Let's race to see who gets to the village first!" Gotta make her forget at all costs, not going to let Nee-san tease me to death.

"Subaru you cheater!"

.

Even with the head start, Emilia still made it to the village first, what the hell is with her legs! Weren't they cut just a few days ago? "It seems… I have lost, as a prize, I'll buy Emilia-san one thing she wants from the village store" I say while taking in the buttery afternoon air, probably should have warmed up before dashing off at full speed.

"Eh? But…"  
"No buts, you won the race, and you need a prize"

I say while dragging her over. We make it over to the store and first things first, we do the shopping. After reading through the list, we split up, grabbing all we need, and putting it all in a barrel, I do remember last time, the twins went to get firewood, but we weren't told to get any so I ignored that.

After dumping all we need in the barrel we made it up to the counter, it took a while, but once everything was checked on, we paid what we had and went were on our way. I carried the barrel single-handedly, and made it to the sweet store I went to the other day, Lisa was the owner of that store, if I recall correctly, of course, I haven't met her in this loop.

"Hello! You've got customers!"

I say while opening the door, the woman on the other side greeted us happily. Sadly, since I've spent quite a lot of money on restocking, I don't really have much left to spend on Emilia's prize, but a man never goes back on their words. Fortunately, she bought the cheapest one, but that in itself was still barely affordable, with the amount of money I had on me, anyway.

And with that, we waved goodbye to Lisa and left, it wasn't much of a prize, since it was the cheapest one, but Emilia seemed happy about it. "Now, time to get back and prepare dinner…" I say while grabbing the barrel filled with all the shopping. Casting a spell on it, I'm able to carry it with ease, and so we walk over to the gate, but before we take our leave, we heard chattering.

"Almost forgot about that…" I whisper while grabbing Emilia by the arm. "Can you come with me for a second, Emilia-san…" she just nods and follows behind. The chattering gets louder and it was obvious that they were the voices of worried children, I remember now. Heading over to the fenced area, I peeked my head around the corner.

"Hey, kids, something the matter?"

The both of us approached the group of kids with the middle one bringing out the most attention. "Is something the matter? Emilia asked them as she bends down to meet their eye level, "Seems like the dogs hurt, Emilia-san…" I answer, already knowing the outcome of this scene. The kids nodded to my reply and that prompted Emilia to close in on the puppy, "Ah, that's a really big cut on your paw…"

Emilia grabbed it's paw lightly, the puppy squirming lightly. "It's okay, I can heal it…" Good thing I brought her over. She silently chanted something and the puppy's paw starts glowing, it's squirming died down. Once the wound was fully healed, the light dimmed out, and Emilia released the puppy's paw, the kids were relieved and thanked Emilia.

While the kids and Emilia conversed, I looked over at the puppy, it was staring at Emilia, its eyes looked like one staring at prey, it's going to bite her, isn't it? I was about to step forward when it leaped at Emilia "H-Hey!?" Me, along with all the kids flinched, but hearing playful growling and giggling from Emilia made us act otherwise.

"Hahaha, you're a cute little one…"

Looks like the puppy just wanted some head rubs, oh well, looks like I overreacted there for a second. "Look at you two, you're basically best friends already… I'm kinda jealous you know…" I say while keeping my distance, Emilia glanced over to me and asked, "Why don't you pet it too, Subaru?" Even if I wanted to, which I do, it's just going to bite me.

"No thanks, animals really hate me…"  
"Grrrr…"

And to support that claim, the puppy growls at me, Emilia seemed quite downed by this and places the puppy back down, it ran back to the kids. We waved goodbye to them and made our way back to the mansion, now all I need to do is wait till night time.

.

By the time we made it back, the sun had already set. We were told by Ram that Roswaal had gone to do some business, that guy's always busy now isn't he, I wanted to ask him more things, but well, it seems we're going to start dinner without him.

The twins and I prepare dinner and I had the golden chance to make some sushi, though I'm not a big fan of sushi myself, I'm sure these guys will love it, you can say this is my countermeasure. We prepared it the usual way, with Rem doing most of the preparing and me just instructing her here and there. Once it was finished, we served it to Emilia, Beatrice seemed to be busy in her library doing something.

As expected, Emilia loved it, she dragged us into dinner as well so the twins had a bite as well, they were surprised. I wouldn't blame them, raw fish normally doesn't taste very good, but when prepared in just the right way, you get something that could compete against one of the more better-tasting dishes.

After dinner, we all split up to do our own things, I had to rake the leaves outside once again, I could see Ram doing the laundry somewhere in the distance and Rem was sweeping inside, a few more hours left, if I can overcome that, the rest should be smooth sailing.

"Haah, i'm pooped… Nee-san, anything else we need to work on?"

Ram passed by me, holding on several straw baskets, "We're done for the day, Barusu. You have the rest of the night to yourself…" She waved off and went back inside, since I get the rest of tonight off, I might as well take some more precautions, time to go visit Beatrice finally. I made sure to put the rake back in the storage hut outside and then I rushed over to the mansion door, but when I opened it, I wasn't shown the usual sight, it was the library, how fortunate.

"You called, I suppose?"

Beatrice was sitting on her usual stool, but it wasn't right in front of the door like it's usually supposed to be, it was near one of the bookshelves, she was leaning on it while tilting her head my direction, "Well, I didn't really call you out loud though…" How she knew I wanted to visit the library, I'll probably never know.

"Just a gut feeling, I suppose"  
"Hmm, well your guts pretty good then…"  
"Please refrain from using such crude words, I suppose"

"Heh, how ironic…" Her usual attitude is starting to surface up, but it isn't bad, it's kinda like when you wanna joke around with a friend, "Mind if I stay a while, at least until tomorrow morning?" I asked her while scanning through the library, it seems cleaner than I last remember, I wonder why. "What could you possibly want with the library that would make you stay till morning, I suppose?!"

"Aw, come on, can't you let a friend sleepover for once?"  
"S-Sleepover…? Well, there's no problem… it's just…"

"Ah, it's okay, I can sleep on the floor, you don't have to lend me your bed"

"What!? You, Betty isn't as cruel as to let a guest do that, you know!" She said, rather seriously, "Even if you do say that, I wouldn't want to sleep in a woman's bed, it just doesn't feel right… besides, we haven't even reached that level in our relationship" "The library is still Betty's, I suppose. So you should listen to what I say while you're in here! And are you implying that we are in a relationship!?"

"Ah, sorry, I guess there's a lot of room for misunderstandings there… I'll change it to… we aren't that intimate enough for that step"  
"That even worse, I suppose! Ugh, why did I even let you in, I wonder!"

.

The more we talked, the less it felt like a sleepover and the more it felt like a slumber party, though having only two people in one isn't very fun. We kept up at our banter for quite a while, long enough that we got tired of it, "Haah, well that was fun, a bit loud and redundant… but still fun nonetheless" I lay down on the ground, gazing up at the wooden ceiling, it was very high up there.

"Hmph, it truly was a mistake for me to let you in, I suppose…"

"Really now? Wouldn't you be lonely if I weren't in here, I mean, Puck is asleep and all"  
"H-Hah?! Me, the great spirit, lonely? Pfft, Betty has never heard of such… nonsense..."

"Saying that while making such an obvious face, your too easy to read Beatrice…"

"S-Shut up!"

Teasing her is pretty fun, not like Emilia, who doesn't understand a single bit, or like Ram who shoots me back harder than I do her, or Rem who turns droopy all of a sudden, Beatrice feels like someone I can connect with in a different level compared to the others, well that may just be because I've spent the most 'quality' time with her these past loops, and I did share the fact that someone's in trouble, ah, can't say I wanna take that back.

"Ah, Beatrice, I've been meaning to ask, can you detect poison with your Yin magic…" I get up, cross-legged and faced her, she put down her book and glanced over to me, "Detecting poison isn't something Yin magic can do, if you're looking for something like that, you'd have to go down the Yang magic line, I suppose…" Huh, so there are things Yin magic can't detect, I thought Yin magic could do a lot of area controlling things, but I guess Yang magic is more for precise things.

"Also, your pretty good at Yin aren't you…"  
"I've already mastered it, I suppose"  
"You've mastered it!? Your that good, huh…"

I knew she was good at Yin magic, I didn't know she was 'that' good at it, surprising, well I'm sure she's gotta be rusty or something, I mean, four hundred years of not practicing magic, it's gotta wear your skills down, unlike I who practice time by time. "So what exactly can Yin magic detect?" I ask her, she put her book down completely, even going as far as to close it, then she turned her body to face me. She took out her hand and spread out her fingers, she was going to count using them

"Larger objects, mana oddities, other forms of magic, time and space distortions, and curses, I suppose…"  
"Curses huh… they're like, the magical equivalent to poison right?"

"You can put it that way, there are several types of curses, but the most common is the one that sucks out all your mana endlessly, the only way to stop that is by undoing the curse, or killing the caster, I suppose… Betty isn't too well informed on the other types, so don't expect me to know everything"

Curse, I don't know why that's ringing in my ears, something special about it. Well I was poisoned, and since their similar, I guess one would feel a little nervous. That reminds me, I should probably ask Beatrice about the poison, Satella said it starts with a 'Cu', maybe Beatrice would know…

"..."

Cu…?

Cu…..

Cu….

Cu….

CURSE!

She wasn't telling me what kind of poison it is, it wasn't even poisoned to begin with! She was trying to tell me I was cursed, it all makes sense now! I shot out and in a panic, I shouted "Beatrice!" She jerked her head towards me "W-What?! I suppose!" I startled her, but I disregarded that. I squirmed over to her, holding her hand, she was now getting flustered, but I don't care. "Please, can you check if I am cursed?"

"..."

She stares at me silently, then pushes me back lightly, then turns around at an incredibly fast pace, "D-Don't scare me like that, I suppose!" She scolds me in an equally loud voice. "Why was I even worried about what you were going say, I suppose…" She had this disappointed look on her face, her hands were pressed onto her forehead.

"Heh? What did you think I was going to say?"

She looks at me and was about to answer, but then her face turned pink and she looked away, "T-That's none of your business, I suppose!" She turns around again, this time grabbing her head and drooping down, trying to hide her embarrassment. I stare at her, rather insulted, her reaction and her answer could only point to the obvious.

"Beatrice-san… don't tell me you expected me to voice out some sort of indecent request?"  
"Shut up! It's not like I was envisioning anything like that, I suppose!"  
"You don't sound very convincing like that"  
"Your one to talk!"

.

We took some time to cool off due to the awkward atmosphere, I was thinking on why in the world would she have a thought like that, I mean, i know I came in suddenly and all but you don't think that out of the blue, maybe I just have the air of a pervert like every other male out there, or maybe, she was actually wishing that I asked that… No, no, no Subaru, don't want you to turning into a lolicon, it's the first reason, not the second! The first reason you hear!

"So… can you check if i'm cursed or not?"

Taking the lead, I ask the question again. Beatrice, who was muttering out things like "Why did I do that" and "I'm going insane", slowly turns her head, her head still a little hot. "N-No… your not curse… why, I suppose?" I can't really tell her that I was cursed and died, but then again, she does know a bit about what was to happen, "I was just a little paranoid is all… but better safe than sorry"

"O-Okay then…"

She turned her head back and faced the ground, still embarrassed, it's kinda hard to look at, I would have gladly taken it as a joke. If it was Nee-san she'd probably say something like "Yeah I was definitely thinking something like that" in an extremely sarcastic voice while glaring my way, seems that Beatrice isn't enough tsun and more on the dere.

Well, the atmosphere was slowly getting awkward again so I lay back on the ground again, keeping my eyes away from Beatrice. "If your going to lay down… at least take a pillow, I suppose…" she suddenly said, I was going to get up but there was a pillow floating beside me, "Thanks, I guess…" It fell down and I grabbed it, putting it under my head, "Won't it get dirty if I use on the floor though?"

"You're already using it on the floor, I suppose… and it's not like a spirit needs to sleep, you know…"

Seems like she's recovered already, that was quick. I felt like I could actually just sleep like that, the pillow was extremely comfortable, and I don't really mind the light, but the moment I thought about that, an ominous wave of hatred flew by, I instantly shot off the ground, looking around in a panic. I then faced Beatrice, her face curled in uncertainty, she looked my way, and said, "It's bubby… I suppose…"

* * *

He pushed open the door, with a little bit too much force, it was midnight, and Puck was angry, it was similar to the first loop, just that was on a whole other level, fortunately. "It's coming from the girl's room, I suppose…" I grabbed Beatrice and rushed over, she was short so I doubt she'd get anywhere fast. Grabbing her all of a sudden would startle her, but her worried face told me she couldn't care any less right now.

"Ram, Rem! Something's happened!" I say as I knocked on their door, Rem got up instantly but Ram seemed to be drowsy. They didn't question me at all, they could feel it, after all, Puck's enormous pressure. It was omnipresent, and it was nerve-racking, one thing could be said for something, "Something happened to Emilia-sama…"

The two of us nod at Rem's statement and we all rushed over to her room. It was on the other side of the mansion so it took a bit of time, but we ran for it, so we should have made it in time. I tried opening her door but it was locked, and we could hear Emilia from behind the door, it seems she was coughing badly, "Half-elf, move away, I suppose" Beatrice put her palm on the door and set loose and immense amount of force onto it. Surprisingly, the door didn't blast its way into the room, instead, it seems she's just broken the hinges, the door just slowly came off from the frame.

We rushed inside and saw Emilia by her bedside, struggling to get up, Rem rushed over to her side and laid her down by her lap, "Emilia-sama! What happened!" Ram quickly went to light up the lamp by the mirror, me and Beatrice also went to her. It seems Rem and Beatrice were trying to heal her up, but I stepped in. "If it's a fatal injury that happened not too long ago, I should be able to fix it, Emilia-san, where does it hurt?" I ask her, but it doesn't seem like she can talk anytime soon, so I just activated timelapse.

"Huh?"

It didn't work, or rather, it worked, but it had no effect, that means, "You were like this for fifteen minutes!?" This is bad, if this goes on, it doesn't seem like she would be able to hold out for very long. She shot up and pushed me and Beatrice away, then she started to vomit on to the floor, "Wait a minute..."

Beatrice placed her palm on Emilia's side and nodded, "It's no injuring, Emilia has been cursed, I suppose!" Cures!? But I was supposed to be the that was cursed why was- "Beatrice, how long can you keep Emilia alive!" I was so stupid, not only did I mistake the cause of my death, I also mistook the killer. It wasn't Rem, it was someone from the village.

"At most, about an hour or so, what are you going to do, I suppose?"  
"If Emilia is cursed, it should have been someone from the village, if I can find them and kill them, she should be alright, right?"  
"I suppose… but, how are you going to find them?"

"I've got a hunch, Ram, Rem, stay by incase they come to finish the job!"

The twins nodded and I left, not through the door, but the window, I don't have time do deal with pesky stairs. "Murak!" I leaped out of the window and quickly made my way down to the lawn, falling down with a roll. It's a good thing I brought my belt with me to the library, I'd have to rush to my room if I hadn't.

"If it's a curse, then it should have been someone both me and Emilia have touched…"

Baldrick, Lisa, the people in the store, the kids, and the village elder, those were the only people I remember that either me or Emilia had contact with, it has to be one of them. I don't think the kids have any magic potential, it didn't seem like it, so it should have been someone else. It was definitely not Baldrick, I hadn't talked with him yet, and neither has Emilia, I don't want to think the kind-hearted Lisa would do it, but she's still a suspect, and the village elder, I don't think it's them either but you never know.

"It's either those two… or someone who touched me without me knowing…"

I ran down the dirt path, and hour isn't much time when I'm trying to find out a mystery murderer, but i'll just have to clutch this situation. As I ran down the path, I felt eyes staring at me. I didn't pay attention to them, they were probably just some nocturnal animals looking out, but that premonition was a dreadful mistake.

"Gh-"

Just to be clear, if I die, I won't be able to use timelapse on myself to revive, so I'm easily prone to instant killing moves, moreover, my reaction time is delayed to an extent when i'm panicking, I think that's the same for everyone, it's where the saying 'Stay calm under tense situations', so if I were to be hit in a vital spot, I wouldn't be able to react quick enough to heal the wound before I die, and that's exactly what happened, my head was cut off at a speed I couldn't comprehend. Were I standing still and concentrating, I might have been able to dodge that, or maybe even parry it, but while I'm running, with things clouding my mind, it would be impossible.

"AGH!"

I fell to the ground, my consciousness was still holding onto a few strings, but either than that, I'm already pretty much dead, even if I tried, I wouldn't be able to activate timelapse, my soul has already been disconnected from my body. All I knew was that the killer giggled in delight, did I hear that somewhere before? Was my last thought.

* * *

 **A/N**

9.3k words? Boi, I'm breaking the limits up! Sooo close to 10k too...

Okay so, Minor spirits are just clumps of mana with consciousness, Quasi-spirits are a bit more conscious and can use magic on their own, Pseudo spirits are Quasi-spirits that can form an appearance (besides balls of light), Mana spirits are spirits that can communicate without telepathy, they also have a physical appearance, Artificial spirits are man-made spirits, they're power and abilities range between Mana spirit levels to Great spirit levels, Great spirits are spirits that have tremendous amount of power, enough that they are nationally recognised.

Minor spirit = Emilia's spirits  
Quasi-spirit = Julius's spirits  
Pseudo spirit = Find out in Arc 3  
Mana spirit = Find out later  
Artificial spirit = Beatrice (She's a self-proclaimed great spirit since almost no one knows her)  
Great spirit = Puck

Being cursed attacks your gate, being poisoned attacks your body, Subaru's timelapse is able to affect anything that is physical, magic is also physical, but mana isn't, that's why timelapse won't work.

I got sick two weeks ago, and it hit me with the worst stomach ache, and the worst headache I've ever experienced, as a result, it destroyed my writing drive. As a result, I couldn't really write much. Trying to fix this I read up Mushoku Tensei, a light novel, and it seemed to have helped me relieve a bit of the writer's block, but I'm still gonna need some time to come back to top speed.

Also, Warlock is getting a whole rewrite, Arc 3 needs some characters that Red had to put in and I need to explain how they got there.

 **Stranger** **  
Please continue as soon as possible!**

 **Well, I did continue it but not as soon as possible, sorry… I'll try harder next time...**


	13. Arc 2: Chapter 7

**Uploading date: 9/15/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 2: An Everlasting Week**_

 **Chapter 7: Dance with the demons (and more)**

* * *

 _Crash_

I dropped a plate and it cracked, the sound reverberated through the dining hall, I was panicking too much and thus I was unable to make a stop through my shadowy locale. I blinked my eyes twice and realized that I'm back, and I let out an "Ahh…" Looking around, I was indeed in the dining hall, with Beatrice, she was looking at me rather skeptical.

"Something wrong, I suppose? People don't usually drop plates normally"  
"Oh, sorry about that, just had a sudden headache…"

I say while pretending to be in pain. I crouched down and picked up the broken pieces, sweeping up the smaller pieces, "Beatrice, how long has it been since I came to the mansion again?" "How forgetful of you, I suppose. According to Betty, it should be the third day, I suppose" With this being the third day, that means tomorrow night is the night I, or Emilia, gets cursed. It seems we're both being targeted for some reason, and it is most definitely an assassin from how I died last time.

"Okay... Beatrice, after dinner, can you teach me how to detect and remove curses?"  
"I can do that, I suppose… but why would you need that?"  
"I suddenly feel a whole surge of paranoia…"

After throwing the plate in the nearby bin, I proceeded to place the jug and drinking glasses on the table, "I'm going to go call Emilia and Roswaal now, don't run off anywhere okay?" I said jokingly. She sighed and dismissed me with a wave, and so I opened up the door and called the two to the table. Surprisingly, I was able to find Roswaal this time, how strange.

Ram and Rem then came in with the meal, ready and they all, dinner started, or was it lunch? I had already lost track of time. After everyone was finished, we took the plates back and washed the glasses, then, Rem asked me, "Subaru-kun, what would you like to have?" Now that I'm no longer wary of her, I had no problem answering, but I was busy, "No it's okay, I have things I need to do with Beatrice, you two can eat ahead, I'll whip myself something later…"

And with that, I left the kitchen abruptly. Walking around for a bit, I find Beatrice by the side of my door, "We're doing it in my room I'm guessing?" She nods while replying, "Betty needs a change of scenery, I suppose…" Opening the door, both of us enter in, with Beatrice taking a seat on my bed.

"So, what kind of curse are you trying to dispel, I suppose?"  
"The kind that drains your mana very quickly"  
"Hmph, well that's easy enough…"

Walking over to my table, she grabs a piece of paper and some ink along with a quill. "Those types of curses tie a knot around your gate, and if left unchecked, these knots grow tighter, the earlier you dispel it, the easier it is to break the knot" She illustrates this on the piece of paper for my convenience. "It is easy for Betty to detect this because I am able to directly sense the gates of anyone in my proximity, it has something to do with being a spirit, I suppose. For you, it's a little different. You'd have to manually check the gate yourself"

"Hmm, manually checking would be…"  
"Connecting your gate with the victims, I suppose"  
"Ah, yeah I can do that. Now how about dispeling them?"

"That requires a bit of practice, but anyone oriented in Yin should be able to dispel curses rather easily, now listen closely, I suppose…" She shows me the sheet of paper and points at the knot, "All you have to do to dispel a curse is to untie the knot surrounding the gate, the difficulty would depend on how long you've been cursed and how many times. The longer you've been cursed, the tighter the knots get, the more you're cursed, the more knots there are to untie, understand, I wonder?"

"I more or less get it… so it's as simple as untying a knot?"  
"It may be simple, but I never said it was easy, I suppose, let's give it a go"

She put her hand onto my chest, I didn't feel anything different with my body, "Now check your gate, I suppose…" The act of checking one's gate is simple, you just have to expel mana outside and an outline should be imprinted on your mind. That's what I did and indeed, I saw a knot, "Okay, I see the knot, so what do I do?"

"Untie it, I suppose, what else?"  
"I can't really use my hand to touch my gate…"  
"Manipulate the mana, you idiot"  
"Ouch, my feelings…"

Manipulating mana isn't an easy feat, but I am able to do it rather easily, since I'm adept at making traps and tracking enemies which both require precise mana manipulation. Since you're only able to expel mana from your gate, it's quite hard to dispel a curse on yourself, but it should be easier to dispel someone else's.

15 minutes later

"Finally did it!" I say triumphantly, learning a new skill always gets me fired up, "You took too long, I suppose, the curse was fresh and it was an easy knot, was it a real one, you'd have died then and there, I suppose…" That was true, once the curse activated, it only took a few seconds for it to affect me, well, practice makes perfect is what they say.

"Hit me with round 2 then! And make it harder this time"  
"Fine, but try not to break your gate in the process"

"W-Wait, that can happen!?"

.

After going at it for about two hours, I had managed to remove six curses, with each attempt being quicker than the rest, my quickest being a few minutes. "Good, now I won't have to worry about curses anymore!" I'll have to return to work sadly so I won't be able to practice anymore, but all I need to know is how to detect them, hopefully, I could rely on Beatrice for the actual dispelling.

"Then, I'll be going now, I suppose"  
"Thanks again!"

Beatrice leaves my room after a while and I get going back to my duties, apparently, I had skipped dinner, but that was the least of my worries now, there's a murderer on the loose, I can't worry about my empty stomach, though, I do need the energy when I fight them. "Nee-san! I'll go rake up the leaves on the lawn if that's alright with you?"

"I'm right here Barusu, no need to shout" Indeed she was right there, it seems she was waiting for me, "Is your business with Beatrice-sama done?" She asks with a straight face, is she not at all curious about what we talked about?"Yeah, all cleared up, what do you need me to do?"

"Rem has already gone to rake up the lawn, I shall be attending Roswaal-sama's needs, you should go and see if anything is wrong and clean it up, also standby if Emilia-sama may need you"

"So basically there's nothing else to do right?"  
"More or less…"

"Right then" she waved me off and I got going, the only thing I can think of doing is patrolling around the mansion's outskirts, if I followed last loops route, Emilia should be outside where Rem is. With that in mind, I set foot outside the mansion "Our assassin was definitely near the mansion that time, they're probably scouting around the area, there must be a reason they didn't attack us then and there, but why…"

It's either their too afraid to come near the mansion when Roswaal's still home, or that it's more convenient to do it in the village, either way, they seem to attack when Roswaal isn't around. "So if they're scared of the old clown, they shouldn't be too strong… then again, the Margrave is as strong as a whole army so yeah…"

I turn around the corner and I see what I expected, Emilia conversing with her spirits while Rem accompanies her, I wave to her and she waves back, "Haah, good to be in friendly terms with her… now, time check if the assassin would like to come out early" I decide to head to the village to see if I can drag out the assassin, unlike last time, I'm prepared for anything, though, Ram would probably give me hell if she finds out that I skipped out, and Rem would probably be able to tell when I'm gone, might as well consult with her before any more suspicion grows.

"Hello Rem, Emilia-san" I say while approaching the two ladies, Emilia greeted me with a smile, while Rem just replied with her own, hello, but she did scold me, "Subaru-kun, Rem understands if you don't feel like it, but during working hours, you must always refer your superior with respect…"

"Aha… sorry, slip of the tongue there…"  
"So, Subaru, do you need anything?"  
"Hmm, actually, Rem, could I ask for a favor?"

Looking at me rather curiously, she nods, "You see, Nee-san said that there's no more chores left for me to do, so…" A sharp stare, my mouth stops, it's a brutal rejection, "Working hours are still working hours, Subaru-kun, no slacking off until the clock strikes nine…" Rem is as serious with work as ever, if only Ram was as hardworking as her, I'd have no need to really do anything.

"Oh come on, it's not like Nee-san is doing anything, she's probably just sitting down getting headpats from Ros-chi or something"  
"Subaru-kun, I won't accept any sort of disgraceful thoughts towards Nee-sama or Roswaal-sama, please take that back"  
"Eh? But isn't it like a servant's go to thing? Getting head pats from your master? Or were the books I read just someone's fetishes..."

"Though Roswaal's head pats may be a bliss to Nee-sama, Rem doesn't see the need for such things. It would hinder my performance and wear down on my resolve to work seriously. Rem works to work, not to receive a head pat, please refrain from assuming things about Rem in the future…"

"Hmm… yeah, I guess that was we- Wait! Ros-chi actually gives Nee-san headpats!" What a surprise that was, and she enjoys them? Oho, looks like I've found a weapon against Nee-san now don't I. But still, I didn't know Roswaal was the kind to give headpats, well, we're talking about a guy dressed as a jester, there are probably more things that clowns hiding.

"A-Anyway… moving away from that topic. If it's okay with you, I'd like to visit th-"  
"Absolutely not, it's still working hours, Subaru-kun"

Flat out rejection once again, Rem really takes her work seriously now doesn't she, her resolve is impressive. "Hehe, you two get along quite well don't you?" Emilia, who has been pretty silent this entire time inserted herself in between us. "Co-workers should always get together, it's the essence of teamwork, right Rem?" She lightly nods, didn't think she would comply so easily.

"Ah, that reminds me, your aiming to be King right Emilia-san?"  
"Mhm, I'll try my hardest to get along with you all too! This will only work if I work together with you all"  
"That's right, we'll be supporting you then, our next King"

With enthusiasm, she left to go back to her studies, being King doesn't just take power, you need knowledge, and lots of it. "So… Rem?" Glancing by my colleague, I was met with yet another refusal, she shook her head slowly and went back to her racking. If this keeps up, I'll probably die of boredom, but suddenly, a thought struck me!

"Rem, I'd like you to show me to the evacuation shack, please…"

"..."  
"..."

She gave me a rather emotionless look, I wonder what it meant, it's probably her saying 'You don't give up, don't you?' She breathes out a long sigh and drops what she's doing, "Very well then" Wait, we're going? Was that all I needed, "Alright then!" she heads back into the mansion, and I follow her gladly, gotta thank give myself a pat on the back for not going with Ram last time.

"You might want to bring your weapons with you, Subaru-kun, this won't be a pleasant trip…"  
"Huh? Really now, is it that dangerous going through the forest?"  
"Yes, Mabeast are always around, especially at night…"

Traveling through a forest at night, with mabeast surrounding us? Doesn't sound like a bad idea whatsoever. "Right then…"

* * *

"No chirp chirping of the crickets… no hooting of hooty owls… man, this side of the forest is really quiet isn't it Rem?"  
"So it is… don't let it trick you into a false sense of safety, Subaru-kun, we might very well be watched by something right now…"  
"Heh, I don't need you telling me that, I've got plenty of experience with things like this…"

We were making our way through the forest rather quickly, and as I said, it was eerily calm, silent, dead you can say. Though she was right, something is definitely watching us, Rem probably knows as well, she has her incredible sense of smell to thank.

"Hey, Rem…"  
"Yes, Subaru-kun?"

"You wanna have a competition?" I say with a snicker, my hands start to grip onto the sheaths of my daggers, her eyes narrow and we both halt, she glances over to me "It doesn't sound like a bad idea... Subaru-kun. Shall we place our bets?" I hear the sound of chains dragging on the grassy floor, then a large thump on the ground, Rem's weapon has been deployed. The both of us faced each other.

"Loser does one thing the winner wants?"  
"Fine with me then…"

With her eyes turning hostile, she lifts up her heavy weapon, rather easily, I do the same, "Then… let the massacre start…" In an instant, we both launched our weapons at each other, though they missed by quite a lot, they still hit something, a whimper, and squeal and two bodies lay dead on the ground.

"One above me!"

I flip up and locked my legs onto something in the air, twisting my body, I skillfully slammed it onto the ground. Right after, I used timelapse to retrieve my thrown dagger and I stabbed my enemy in the neck, piercing straight through their throat, another dead.

"AAARH!"

As I twist my head back, Rem somersaults into the air, and swings her chained spike ball of death around, the chains wrapping around two more. With a yang, she brought them in closer, planting her foot on both of them. With tremendous force, she broke their bones as they impacted the ground.

"Three to the right…"

I turn over again and see three more rushing at me, I cast Murak on the corpse and kicked it over to them, knocking one of them into the ground. The other two still came onto me fast, but with a single chant, "El-Lahm!" They were pinned to the ground, it kinda cracked the ground as well, blood spurting out of their squished bodies.

"That makes four dead, oh, the other ones coming" I flung over two daggers at it and stabbed both its eye, easily blinding it. I felt something bite into my arm, one managed to sneak up on me. I punched it with my free hand and ripped it's mouth of my arm, slamming my foot onto its mouth to keep it shut.

"That really hurt you know? Timelapse"

With my arm fixed, my daggers reappeared in my hands, I looked over to Rem, her eyes glowing a demonic red, demon's really are strong aren't they. I can see dead bodies piling up on her end, but I'm not about to lose to a maid. "I'm only getting started…"

.

"Haaah! That took forever!"  
"Subaru-kun, you fought better than Rem thought you'd fight…"  
"Heh? What's this? Did you underestimate me? Well, that's what you get, looks like I won thirty to twenty-eight!"

The whole event took fifteen minutes, they just rushed at us like mad dogs, well, they are Ulrgam so what can you expect? "Hehe, so, it looks like you're going to have to do one thing I want huh?" I said while glancing at her, an evil grin plastered on my face. "How disgusting… Rem can already feel the lewd gazes you are giving me…"

"Hey now, I haven't said anything yet, it's not nice to jump into conclusions, and even if that was my wish, Nee-san would kill me in an instant… ah, now that I think about it, I don't think you can give me a day off now can you? Ram is the head maid, and persuading her isn't going to be easy, even for you, and I'd feel bad if I just left the whole mansion to you two"

"Just so you know, we've been doing perfectly fine without you, in fact, I think you've been slowing Nee-sama down…"

"Don't you mean you've been perfectly fine on your own? I mean, Nee-san barely does anything! She's just bombarding me with all her jobs lately, don't you think?"

"Nee-sama… has things she can do…" Making a rather hard face, Rem picks up her morning star, and stores it somewhere, that's magic for you. "Well then, tell me one thing she can do better than anyone else?" No matter how you see it, Rem is superior to everyone in almost every aspect of housework and the like, Ram, on the other hand, may even be below average, heck, even I excel on some things better than her.

"Nee-sama can… she can… ah, she can make the best-steamed yams!"  
"I'll believe it when I see it…"

Leaving Rem rather peeved, I make my way further into the forest, "Just you wait, Subaru-kun… once you try Nee-sama's steamed yams, you'll truly understand!" You can only go so far when idolizing someone, she's got some intense inferiority complex right there, not something I can bother helping with.

"Oh yeah, I wanted to know Rem… why didn't you summon your horn back then? And please don't tell me you thought you could beat me without it, I'll be really pissed if you say that…"

"My… horn? How do you know about that, may I ask?"

"Aw come on, in order to truly be connected as colleagues, one must know about their colleagues and vice-versa! And so I asked Roswaal about it, he told me you two were demons so I assumed you have a horn, I know Ram doesn't"

"What makes you think that?"

"It's not rocket science, even an idiot can figure it out. I've been working with Nee-sama so I've noticed a few things about her, she gets tired easily, and she really likes touching her forehead for some reason. I later found out that she had a scar there, I'm can how a scar was formed. Nee-san's was formed by something breaking of her forehead, it wasn't the kind that a stab or a cut would form…"

"That… is correct…"  
"So, my question?"

"Rem's horn… Rem only summons it in emergency situations, since Rem loses control of herself most of the time, letting instincts and emotions fully control my actions… Rem was never as skilled as Nee-sama was with her horn, she easily surpassed Rem in everything, Rem was just a shadow of her… but then she lost her horn, and it was my fault…"

"Don't say that…"  
"Subaru-kun… you don't understand, it truly was my faul-"

"I was talking about the 'I was her shadow' part…" I bluntly stated, making her stop in her tracks, I feel like this is a very repetitive thing in the books I read, "I've already acknowledged you as a different person to Ram, so don't go calling yourself a Ram rip-off, that's just saying 'Rem' doesn't exist, that she's not your sister" I feel like I've been lecturing everyone on things, these past few loops, really ticks me off now.

"Also, isn't this a bad thing to show for your kouhai? Isn't the senpai supposed to be encouraging and whatnot?"  
"Hm… You are right, Subaru-kun, please forget everything I've said tonight"  
"No can do, it's a bargaining chip for next time!"

"Hmph, you really are a devil of a man…"  
"Heh, your one to talk!"

The night continued with the two of us making it to wherever that evacuation shack was, and it was far away. It took almost an hour or two just to get there, I was going to be late for bedtime were it not for Rem. I told her to fling me over to the mansion with her super strength, I made myself lighter with Murak of course, but damn was she strong. The one and a half hours spent on walking was easily covered in a single throw, of course, I might have broken a bone or two when I landed.

"Your healing ability is really useful, isn't it, Subaru-kun…" Rem comments as she lands nearby, I sigh in pain, "It's less of a healing ability, and more of time manipulation ability, though it's not exactly time manipulation? But at the same time, it is, nevermind, these kinds of things are pretty confusing anyway…"

"So you two have returned? And might I add covered in blood and late..."  
"Nee-sama! Yes we have returned safely"

"Safely? Hey, I broke a leg just a second ago and your clothes are bloody, it's not very convincing if we take those things into account… still, couldn't there have been another way to the evacuation shack?"

"There was, a tunnel is present under Roswaal-sama's study that we can use in case of an emergency, that would be the proper way to head to the evacuation center, Barusu"

"Wait, then why did we take the forest route?!"  
"Do you really intend on bothering Roswaal-sama, Barusu?"

"Heh, you're just afraid you might not get your headpats from your dear master if we were to barge in all of a sudden, huh, Nee-san?" And with that sudden poke, she froze, I sneak a chuckle in as she turns her head over to Rem, who was looking away for obvious reasons. Well, it seems I'll end the night here.

* * *

"Hwwaaah… morning again..."

A crazy night it was last night, but no sign of the assassin, weird, I was sure they'd come and rush for me. Well, whatever happened, today's the day they come, definitely. Roswaal's also going to leave, more reason for them to come, but I'd like to finish this before they make it to the mansion.

"Mhh… well, guess I'll ask Rossy for a day off, he's still indebted to me after all…"

Getting off my bed, I walk over to the closet and take out my slightly torn clothes from the other night, those Ulrgams did a number on it, can't say the same for me though, heh. After clipping everything one, I left outside, it seems I've woken up a little later than usual, which is understandable.

"Now, I wonder where Roswaal would be? Guess I'll ask his right-hand maid for that"

Rem wakes up Ram, so in order to find her, I'll have to ask Rem, then I can ask Ram where Roswaal is, then I'll be able to ask Roswaal for the day off, but there's a much easier way. "Beatrice? Mind helping me out for a bit?" I say with my hands cupped. There was silence for a few moments, then the door beside me opens up, the little spirit peeked out.

"Good morning, what do you need, I suppose?"  
"Do you think you could tell me where Roswaal is, something urgent came up"  
"Hmm… he just entered his study, alone, I suppose"

"Okay, makes things much simpler, listen, I'll be going out later, might not be coming back until tonight or maybe even tomorrow, alright?"

"Seems troubling, well, you better come back to give Betty an answer, you've been keeping me anxious all day, for the past two days, I suppose..." She says with a rather annoyed look on her face, though, that was my fault. "Sorry, I'll be sure to get back as soon as I can" Bowing down in an apology I thank her as he makes his way to Roswaal's study.

Waving away to the little spirit, I make my way up the stairs and over to a door, larger than the others in the hallway, and I knock, "Hey Roswaal, you in there?" Another few moments of silence and I hear an 'ahem', seems he's over there, "Come in Subaru-kun…"

"Pardon the intrusion" I opened up the door and walked inside, the room was dark, and the Roswaal was sitting crossed on his chair, looking at me with his split, blue and yellow eyes, they glowed too, looks cool if I do say so myself. "So~ What can I do for you, Subaru-kun…"

"Ah, that voice will never get old now would it? I can hardly take you seriously like this..."  
"Even I~ can get hurt by words too, you know~?"

"Anyway, jokes aside, I'd like a day off today, a full day, if that's no problem with you?" He looks at me for a while and closes his eyes. He nods, and then opens up his eyes again, with a smile, "Of course, there's no problem at all~ I'm sure Rem and Ram can handle the mansion on their own for just a day" He closed up his blue eyes, leaving the yellow one to gaze at me, it's rather creepy, it's probably another thing of his, might as well ignore it.

"Then guess I'll see you tomorrow…"  
"Hm, going~ somewhere?"

"Well, a little later, but I don't think I'll be coming for breakfast, so technically I won't be able to see you until tomorrow?"

"Ah~ Well then I wish you a safe return, don't get mauled by the forest beasts while your out, you~ hear?" Letting out a chuckle, I walk my way out the door, giving Roswaal a small wave before leaving his study. "Might as well tell the twins I'm taking it off today, Ram gonna be salty about that for sure…"

I make my way down the corridor and turn to the employee's lounge, Ram should be there waiting for me like usual, "Morning, Ram Nee-san!" I greet loudly as I barge in, Ram was asit on the couch, with Rem, they were sipping some tea, without me?

"Your as noisy as ever Barusu, might I add your late, and you stink"

"Hey, this noisy, late, and stinky young man has a heart too you know! Even if your words are just words, they hurt!" I retort back at Ram, she just continues to sip on her tea, like a babysitter would when irresponsibly dealing with a toddler in a fit, it makes me feel rather deprecated.

"Enough of the bickering, we have a long day ahead of us"  
"Ah, yeah, Nee-san about that, I'm taking a day off today"

"What?"

"I'm… taking the day off?" I repeated. Ram looks at me, with utter disappointment, and pain. Did that statement hurt you that much!? "N-Nee-san?" Suddenly, she falls to the floor, slowly, and rather depressed, "Just when Ram thought you'd be worth something... you come here saying you quit? Go die!"

"Nee-san, isn't that a little too much?! I said I'm taking a day off not quitting?"  
"Those two mean the same thing, Subaru-kun"  
"What?! No, they don't!"

"It does to Nee-sama, have some shame Subaru-kun. Nee-sama had expected something from you and you had betrayed her expectations" Giving me a look of disdain, Rem pats her older sisters on the back, as if consoling her, is it really that serious?! "To think that Barusu would dare dump all of his workload on me… he truly is a useless Barusu!"

"I don't want to hear that from the head maid who's been dumping all her work on me these past days!"

.

After a little more argument and insult tossing, we finally settled down. Ram really doesn't like working, well, no one does, unless it's Rem of course. She'd take any kind of work, unless it's mine, she won't take my jobs for some reason, I feel like there's some favoritism at play here.

"Well then, looks like I'll have to try out being a hikikomori, like the characters in those novels dad used to give me, though, I'll just be sewing patches on my Kara-lug clothes… man that sounds really cool, makes for a really nice brand name, too bad I have no intention of starting a clothing company, maybe if mom were still here, I might…"

Walking over to my room, I open the door slowly and entered, the morning sunlight was just brushing on my curtains so everything was really still kinda dark, "Time to start repairs…" From the table drawer, I take out the sewing kit I was provided with and started sewing up my clothes.

I was rather engrossed in the repairs, I didn't give a thought about time, but I know it was at least noon, my room was pretty bright after all. "Better finish this up quickly… going to have to scan over the area for the-" I hear a grumbling sound, and I stopped with my hand work. Lowering my head down I found the source of it, my stomach.

"Hungry, I suppose?"  
"Woa- Owch!"

With the sudden scare I banged my knee on the table and fell down the ground, that hurt a lot! "Ow Ow! Darn, is that table made of steel or something! And what are you doing sneaking up on me like that!" I look over to the owner of the voice, Beatrice, who was standing beside the table with a plate in her hands.

"You were so concentrated that you didn't notice Betty enter, you know"

"Ah, guess that was me being me… so what do you need?"  
"I've already asked, hungry, I suppose? Though I already know the answer"

Looking down on me from her standing point, she gives a slight nod and presents to me a plate with sweets on it, "Your pretty nice doing this, but you're going to eat some too aren't you?" Looking like she's been exposed, she tilts her head away, "Don't think you're the only one hungry, I suppose"

"Heh, figured as much, alright then, have a seat, I'll sit on my bed…"

I bring myself up to my feet and took the plate from her hand, placing it down by my bedside. "So, it's rare to get a personal visit from a great spirit, what's the deal?"

"Is it wrong for Betty to have a snack with a friend, I suppose?"  
"Hoho, so you've acknowledged me as an equal now? Hmm, having a little girl see me as an equal is a bit..."  
"One more 'little girl' out of your mouth and I'll make you permanently short, I suppose…"

"Hah, so we're even on the level where we can throw around threats nonchalantly, we've progressed our friendship meter faster than I've noticed!" With me taking her threats lightly, she grumbles annoyingly. We continue with our banter as we chowed down on the sweets, finishing them in an instant.

"Your rather skilled at sewing, I suppose…"

"Yep, my mom taught me how to sew whenever she was free, she was always so enthusiastic about clothes, it almost feels a little overwhelming, but she was mom so I had to put up with it" Reminiscing on old memories, oh how I love doing that, it makes my eye glint red a little, a glint of bloodlust you can say.

"Seeing that you're fixing up your clothes, I'm taking that your meeting someone?"  
"Meeting someone… guess you can put it that way…"

I take my fixed up jacket and put it on, it's time to settle finally settle this, "That smile on your face looks a little creepy, you know?" I chuckle out a little before walking past Beatrice, "Ah, that's nothing, I've just been really eager to meet this person that I can't hold myself back now…"

"Well then… you'd better keep your promise, I suppose… If you break a promise, you'd have to swallow a thousand needles, or so they say"  
"Heh? A thousand needles… that's sure going to do a number on my throat, but I like to keep my promises"

I open up my door and wave to Beatrice a final time, "See you later tonight then"

* * *

I sneak out of the mansion at noon, it seems Roswaal is leaving soon, I'll keep low until he's gone. The assassins most likely going to act then so I'll prepare in advance. "I'll be counting on the twins and Beatrice if they manage to sneak past me… though I doubt that'd happen, I am a target after all, hehe"

The forest was rather dense, not that it would interfere with me or anything, but it does give the assassin an advantage since they've been in the area before me, might as well use this time to get familiar with my surroundings, and so I did. I walk a bit until I find a rather good and open spot, taking out a knife, I cut myself in my arm, dapping the blood with my finger.

"Hmm, making magic circles with blood… should I call it blood magic? Nah, it's just normal magic algorithms…"

I drew a magic circle with my blood onto a nearby tree, then immediately fixed my arm with timelapse. I pressed both my hands on the tree and shot a gush of mana through, the spell has activated. "Field scanning… thanks to the library I've learned a new skill…" During my stay in the library, I read on a bunch of books, one of which was on magic algorithms. It's like math but with magic instead, it allows for complex or large-scale spells, but you need to draw a magic circle for that.

The one I just used scanned the whole area for mana, I know the position of anything and everything with mana at that exact moment, and there's two things with mana high enough to be people, they're right beside each other, "Ram and Rem? Maybe… they're probably a little suspicious of me, though, with Ram there, I doubt they'd do anything rash, I'll wait a little longer…"

I walk away from the tree and over to a cliff that showed the mansion in full view, "So much for leaving the mansion in your hands huh?" Wielding both my daggers in my hands, I stand on guard and activate the spell once more.

"What?"

A sudden feeling came over me, extreme and imminent bloodlust. "One of them is coming my way… and fast!" I make it over to the edge of the cliff my daggers pointing across to the forest. "This amount of bloodlust, is not from an animal, it's definitely from a person… but… it's definitely Rem"

Rustling bushes, I heard that and that made me react instantly, but still, it was a little slow. A spiked metal ball scraped the edge of my face, and I slipped off the cliff with the momentum. "Not today!" Before I could plummet down, I grabbed the chains connected to the morning star and gave it a strong jerk, from the bushes, a shadow with a glint on their head was heading straight for me, I twisted my body kicked it in the abdomen, downwards.

It fell straight down and slammed into the ground with an immense force, my kick was that strong.

"So it was you…" I fell down and cast Murak on myself, landing slowly on my feet. The figure in front of me got up slowly picking up their chained death weapon, "That really hurt my face you know, though I'll forgive you since you're not really yourself… Rem…" I used timelapse on my injuries and they were back to normal, then I faced my opponent, Rem, on her forehead something glowing, her horn it seems.

"So, you were following me around and suddenly something happened and you summoned your horn, and since I'm the thing closest to an enemy to your instincts, you came to me. You owe me one for not killing you…"

"Hrrrrgg…"

She growled, unbefitting of her cute look. She whipped her morningstar into the air and kicked it my way at an insane speed, though, not as fast as last time. I throw my body to the side, letting her weapon scratch at my sides just a bit. "Don't think you can win just because you've got a power boost now.

I flung one of my daggers at her, she flips back and dodges with ease, she dragged her morningstar back and I rushed forward. Using the opening, I tried slicing at her but she her quick speed allowed her to dodge those close quarters attacks as well, she then knocked my hand away and grabbed me by the throat, so she's familiar with martial arts huh?

"Still, I'm not losing to a maid"

Before she could crush my neck, I grabbed her hand and drained all the mana in her arm in one go, making it go numb. Her grip weakened but it wasn't enough, so I kicked her in the leg, making her fall down. "My life might be on the line so don't mind if I play dirty" Before she could get up, I placed my feet onto her head, grabbing her hands and pinned her to the ground.

"Rrrhhh… die… die!"  
"Calm down now Rem…"  
"Die!"

Before long, she flings her body back up with her legs, slamming me onto a tree. I fell to the ground and bring up my arms to block a kick from Rem, though I underestimated her and got thrown to the side rather harshly. She was about to slam her fist straight into my head but I activated timelapse just in the nick of time.

"Your movements are quick, but predicting them is no problem for me"

She tries to turn back for another kick but misses me, instead, destroying the tree beside me, one serious hit and I'm gonna have a hard time getting up, "Murak" I leap into the air to create some distance, though she didn't allow it. With her inhuman strength, she jumped up after me. "It's in your best interest to snap out of it already, Rem!"

Before her hands were able to reach me, I planted my foot on the side of her leg and launched her away. "Since your acting on instinct, magic won't be a thing I have to worry about right? Or are you finally gonna start using it?" She gets up and glares at me. Raising her hands, she chants out, "El… Huma!"

Ice bolts materialized into the air, six to seven of them, and they shot out for me fast, "Kardese" I simply waved my hands and a thin purple barrier easily dispels her ice bolts, but she didn't stop. "El-Huma! El-Huma!" She relentlessly launches more at me and in quick succession.

"I don't want to act like that cliche kind of opponent, but you should just give up, you can't beat me when it comes to magic…"

"DIE!"

Giving up with magic, she hurls herself to me once more and destroys the barrier herself, though, that left her exposed to an attack. "You fell for that taunt like a greedy merchant to money, heh" I kicked her gut once more and she curled in pain, and to finish everything off I landed a solid punch at where her horn was.

"Gah!"

Her horn disappeared as she collapsed to the ground, unconscious. "Well, Ram's gonna give me a beating for this, but demon's heal quick, she'll be good as ever when I drag her back-" Sudden tingled inside of me, danger, death, run away, my body was screaming at me, and then.

"Hehe"

Giggling, I heard giggling behind me, it was a woman's giggle, it seems I've let my guard down once again. Somethings headed for me right now, a blade? The assassin herself? Whatever it is, I'll die if I waste time, turning around takes too much time, and my daggers are on the ground, picking them up is too risky. Blocking it with my hands? Possible, she's most likely going to aim for my neck like she did last time, but my arms are already hurt from Rem's kick, even with timelapse, it'll be hard to fight like that.

"Lahm!"

I slam my hands on the ground and chanted. The grass suddenly shriveled and flattened down, and a large thump can be heard behind me, along with a grunt from the assassin. Lahm, a spell with the opposite effect of Murak, is quite useful.

Grabbing Rem, I created some distance between me and her, "Sneaking on me twice isn't going to work" I turn back and face the assassin, cloaked in black cloth, the typical murder attire you can say. "Ah~ I knew you wouldn't fall for that trick, but I just had to try it out," The lewd voice said, now I know why it sounds so familiar.

"I know you said you'd be back, but isn't this a little too early?!"

This woman, she was undoubtedly Elsa Greinhart, the bowel hunter from the Capital, her voice, her way of attacking, man, I should've connected the dots much quicker, now I just feel dumb, "It's a little hard talking like this, no?" She said with her face still planted on the ground from my spell.

"Shut it you masochist, I'm not about to let a killer loose… well, not yet, I've got to get my colleague back to her sister before we do any dancing, but thanks to you, I can push the blame on her injuries away, until then, stay still. I'll come back to cut your head off or something, so don't worry about not having fun"

"My, what a bold man you are, you really do know how to tug my heartstrings"

Not wanting to hear any more of her delusional words, I make a break for it. Running through the trees in the direction of the mansion, I make large leaps with the help of Murak, fortunately, Rem is as light as a feather, it's a little weird taking into account that she kicked a whole tree down.

I land beside a tree and I was able to see the gate, "Ram! Get your ass out here!" I scream at the top of my voice as I rushed for the door. Once I reached, Ram was out there with a rather aggravated look "So you decide to run back now Baru- Rem?!" I gave Rem to her and shoved her through the mansion doors.

"Barusu, what's the meaning of this!?"

"Don't let anyone in, don't let anyone out, a killer on the loose, there might be more but I can't for sure. Tell Beatrice to stay on guard, and keep Emilia on lockdown or something, this is going to be a rough night"

"Barusu wait, wha-"  
"No time, gotta go!"

I slammed the door shut and turned back, running straight back to the forest, "Okay then, so round three it is?" Elsa has an advantage right now, while the trees limit my area of movement, it gives her a perfect environment to fight around, she is a great acrobat after all, so it'll be hard for me to keep my eyes on her.

"Even so, I'm not planning on dying again, I've already done enough of that"

I run over to the cliff where I fell from and peek down, she's gone. "It seems she forced herself up with sheer strength, part of her cloak is here, does that mean I missed her?" I jumped and floated down slowly. Looking around, there's not much to go by, my daggers were on the ground and so was Rem's morning star.

I walk over to pick up my daggers, then the morning star, but it faded away the moment I touched it, "Woah… must be one of those soul-bound weapons I heard of… Argh, getting off track, I'll track her down with Field scanning. Murak!" I leap back up on the cliff and headed for the tree with the blood marked magic circle. I pushed through mana through it, much more than last time, it gave me a much bigger range, but the results were not good.

"Five signatures are in the mansion, Emilia, Rem, Ram, Beatrice and… Puck, great, Elsa hasn't gone towards the mansion. Nothing in the forest but… the village seems to be scattered around in panic, don't tell me, she actually went there!?"

Fearing the worst, I made a mad dash for the village. "If I'm right, she's gonna slaughter a few and cause a panic, and battle me there? I don't know, argh, there's also the curse, she might have cursed everyone there, I'll have to kill her quick or there might not be a village to run to anymore!"

Though this might as well be a distraction, it makes Emilia open to attacks, but she probably doesn't know about Beatrice, I can trust her strength, Ram's there too but I doubt she'd be too much help, and Emilia's got some fighting sense in her too.

"Ohno…"

I reached the village and I was met with something I didn't really want to see, Ulgrams, and several of them, "Help! Someone help me!" A woman backed up on the corner, screaming for her life, no one can help her, they were all busy trying to fend off the other Ulgram.

"Graaaah!"

"Close that mouth of yours!" I drop down beside the Ulgram and sealed its mouth with my hands. It struggled to get them opened, but I slammed it's snout to the ground. It whimpered in pain but got back up to fight, though, I had already stabbed through its skull before it could launch another attack. It dropped dead on the ground.

"Hey, you okay?"  
"H-Ha Thank you!"  
"No prob, go run inside"

Leaving the woman on her own for now, I rush to the village square where the situation was a little dreadful. "She's tampered with the barrier stones huh?" I threw my dagger over to one Ulgram and kicked its rear, the others who were defending suddenly turned to me. "You guys, get everyone inside, I'll deal with all of them!"

They didn't question me, not at all, they were terrified of the situation so they didn't have time to question me, it was the smart thing to do, "Hey, I'm gonna need some help…" I took a deep breath and time suddenly slowed down, the world darkened, and reality itself started distorting, in front of me, a woman cloaked in shadows appeared, black fumes expelling out of her figure, she nods and everything turns back to normal.

"Smell me you bastards!"

The next moment, all the Ulgram turned their attention to me, their eyes flaring up in hunger, I thought mabeast hated the miasma, "Come on, your main course is right here!" They leaped to me one by one. I slid to the side and slashed at one, grabbing it by the collar and snapping its neck with my legs.

I jumped into the air and kicked two more that were on my way, I used timelapse to retrieve my daggers. "El-Lahm!" I cast a spell on one of the Ulgram and they got slammed down onto the ground, blood spurting out everywhere. With the spell still in effect, I lifted the body and slammed it on the other Ulgram, getting them caught in the spell as well.

"Shamak!" A blast of smoke to my side and I've immobilized a few more. In quick succession, I split their throats out and finished the rest with a kick to the snout, village, successfully protected.

"Haah… tiring, really tiring, still a killer on the loose though…"

I walk over to one of the villagers who seemed at least a little calm and asked him, "Does anyone have any major injuries?" He thanked me for saving them all before replying to question, "No one has major injuries, just small ones, but please, two the village children have gone missing, the others told us they went into the forest but we were suddenly attacked when we tried to enter…"

Missing children, it seems I've let another one slip, "Tell me, which one of them went in?" "Petra, a girl with a red ribbon on her head, and one more girl, I'm not sure, but she has cyan hair, the rest are fine, please, help us find them!" The man begged, things just get harder and harder, it seems I'm going to need to review a few things.

Elsa is somewhere in the forest, I know that. Ulgram are on the loose, and two kids from the village are missing. It looks like my suspicion for that little dog with them may be correct, "They might as well be dead with how long I took, but you never know… Hey you!" I pull back the man before he could go anywhere, "Y-Yes!"

"Make a dash to Roswaal's mansion really quick, tell them the situation and ask for replacement barrier stones, these guys aren't gonna stop coming like mad dogs unless you do something about the barrier around the village"

"Yes, sir!"

He scurried around and grabbed a torch, making his way over to the mansion, let's hope Rem or Ram can handle the situation over here, I, on the other hand, have other things to do. "Alright, either this dog they have is like the alpha of the pack, or Elsa is a mabeast user, or maybe she's working with one… this can only go downhill so might as well go all out!"

Casting Murak on myself, I lifted off the ground and into the trees, a rather quick way of traversing through open spaces. "The kids are probably cursed, I can't detect curses without touching people yet… but I can use Field scanning, I'll discern whether they're cursed or not from their mana signatures. "Right…"

I cut my arm once more and drew the magic circle quickly, "Let's go" I heal my arm quickly and activated the spell once more, getting a good glimpse of where everything is, "Three people confirmed, hundreds of mabeast, and one is cursed… can't tell for sure how long but she's definitely cursed, I have a bad feeling about this…" Only one of them is cursed, I have a bad feeling that the other one is working with Elsa or something.

"Gah, can this day get any worse?"  
"Now, now, please keep that promise would you?"

"Kardese" Erecting a barrier behind me, I run over to where the cursed child is, leaving Elsa behind, "Prioritizing the rescue first, see ya, Elsa!" I lose her in the forest, and make my way through the shrubbery. Mabeast appearing left and right, though one by one rushing towards me gives me the advantage of a one on one.

"She's just over there"

I rush over to a steep cliff and without thinking twice I leap off and straight into a big fall, "Surprise!" As I descend down I get to see the surroundings rather clearly, a dozen and a half Ulgrams surrounding an unconscious girl, that was Petra, the red ribbon told me that. There was one more girl, the other one I that went missing, but it seems my suspicions were right. None of the mabeast are showing any hostility to her, and moreover, it seems she's controlling those mabeast.

"El-Shama!"

The moment my feet touched the ground, an explosion of black clouds surrounded the whole area. I grab the girl, holding her close, then I killed everything within my reach, my black cloud dissipating right after.

"Haah, I knew there was something fishy about your dog, otherwise it wouldn't have bitten me"  
"Hmm? I don't think I've met you Onii-san? Have we met somewhere perhaps?"

"Nope, I'm just your average lone traveler, now reformed butler, I'm here to kill all your pets and discipline you since you've been a really bad girl," I say while giving an ominous grin towards her, she shivered while smiling nervously. Wielding my dagger in one hand and carrying the fainted girl in the other I prepare to strike.

"My, my, don't forget about me now..."

Reacting quickly, I roll to the side and narrowly dodged her slice. Picking myself back up I glanced at the two, "Not at all, you guys have any more buddies I need to be aware of? I'm getting kind of sick with these sneak attacks you know, there's been like, six or seven of them already" I look around and more Ulgram came into sight, but one was particularly eye-catching.

"Rrrrgh…"

"So the puppy really was the alpha, huh?" The small puppy that stood between Elsa and the other girl started morphing, changing its cute appearance into a terrifying beast, almost three times the size of the Ulgrams around me. "So now… how are you going to get out of this situation, I wonder?"

The two girls smile towards me while the alpha sneers, I let out a dry sigh, and pick up my dagger once more, "I've dealt with tougher situations, but fighting a pack of enemies single-handedly, all while carrying a weak little girl is a bit overwhelming if I'm going, to be honest…"

"Only a bit?"  
"Just a bit, El-shamak!"

I cast the spell quickly, making sure all the Ulgram were engulfed in my smoke. Elsa managed to escape my range and came circling around, throwing her body straight at me. I moved my arm up and our blades clashed, she twisted her body up and was about to backheel my head "Kardese!" I protected myself with a barrier.

"Ul-Lahm!"

Casting another spell, Elsa suddenly felt her insides being crushed, even then, she didn't stop. She tried to throw her knife at me but an Ulgram was suddenly slammed straight into her. Ul-Lahm, a spell that increases the gravity of a certain object, using it skillfully essentially allows me to perform telekinesis.

"Rraaaagh!"

The ground-shattering roar made my shamak cloud scatter around, clearing the way for all the Ulgram. "Shit…" They all rushed at me, all at once. I dodge them one by one but they managed to scrape their claws into my skin, "El-Lahm!" I slammed all the ones nearby into the ground, crushing their heads into the earth.

"Murak!"

I flip backward, dodging another knife from Elsa. I then kick her square in the face, and she tumbled down, but she got back in no time. "You really are one dancer!" It looked like she was about to jump right back me but before I could look any further, and Ulgram lunged at me, biting deep into my free arm.

"Arggh!"

I tried to shake the beast off but it was futile, the bite was too deep, any movements only make it dig deeper. "Perfect!" As I was busy trying to pry off the Ulgram, Elsa took the chance and leaped in to take the kill. Seeing no other way to dodge, I slammed the Ulgram into her, a big chunk of me arm was ripped off from the immense force.

"Damn it all!"

Falling to the ground, I activated timelapse to restore my arm and I landed right at my back, "Let him have it!" "Rrghaaaa!" On the little girl's command, the alpha Ulgram slammed the ground with its feet and a fissure was sent straight my way, "Kardese!" I spawned in another barrier to protect myself from the attack but the force flung me into the air.

"No time to rest"

Elsa said and she stabbed me in the back as, "El-Lahm!" I slam her down the ground with immense pressure, enough to break her bones, then I dive down and impaled her right at in her heart. More Ulgram ran for me but I cast shamak on them and created some distance between us. "Haah… haah…"

This was tiring, I won't be able to last if I don't get either Elsa or the apha out of the picture, the other Ulgram are just annoying small fry, "Hkk-" I was rammed in the side by another Ulgram. Shifting my body, I shielded the unconscious girl in my arms from a direct hit, my back was slammed into a rocky wall, that cost a rib or two.

"I need mana…"

Two more Ulgram chased after me, I drop the girl in my arms and activate timelapse, appearing behind the two Ulgram, I grab their hind legs and drained them all dry. The whimpered as they impacted the ground, weak and shriveled. I turn around, only a handful of Ulgram was left, all that along with the alpha and Elsa, I might just make it if I push myself.

"Ul-Sham-"

I was about to cast another spell but my mouth was sealed Elsa threw another knife down my way, I tilt my head but it made a deep cut in my cheek. The knife gets spiked into the rocky wall, that's when I notice an Ulgram going for the girl I dropped, "Ul-Lahm!" It gets pinned to the wall and crushed to death.

Elsa was about to slice at me again, but I defended with another barrier, then I knocked her weapon off her hand and kicked her in the gut. Right after landing, I stabbed into an Ulgram that was about to bite me, then flipped away from another, "Just a little more!" I throw my dagger at the nearest Ulgram and got a straight bullseye, right at the center of its head.

"Grraaaah!"

The alpha stomped it's feet once more and another fissure was sent my way, I clasped my hands and chanted, "Kard-" I couldn't finish the incantation, I didn't have enough mana. I took the attack head on and my bloodied body was slammed into a tree, making it break a little in the middle.

Elsa then came up and tried to kick at me but I block with both my arms, "Lahm!" I locked her feet on the ground with a spell then I rushed stabbed at her stomach, she tries to punch me away, but I dodge her hit and she eats a headbutt from me.

I stumble back away from her and saw the alpha charging straight at me, "Murak!" with my last bit of mana, I launch off the ground and made it behind the alpha, wrapping my arms around its neck so I don't fall, "Rgahhh!" It tried to shake me off so I acted quickly, taking out another dagger, I stabbed right at its neck and it howled in pain.

"Die already would you!"

It flailed around, trying to get me off. It then slammed its foot on the ground and suddenly, spikes of earth shot out from the ground and impaled me, missing the Ulgram completely, "Time… lapse!" I reappeared on the ground, the holes in my body had disappeared. Just as I was about to turn around, Elsa tackles me to the ground while trying to stab me.

We roll around for a bit with me dodging her knife strikes. As she pinned me on the ground, I spat at her face and kicked her off, forcing myself back on my feet.

"Haah…"

My mind was slowly growing hazy, I have almost no more mana left, sadly, timelapse doesn't restore any mana so I have to resort to mana draining my opponents whenever I'm low, but these Ulgram are almost nothing and Elsa doesn't' have much herself.

"My, finally tired out now? Well, you've killed me four times already, that's a new record, you're now officially the best dancer I've ever danced with, hehe..."

"Should I be honored…? I don't know… but wouldn't Mr. Sword saint be your best dancer, since you know... he's the sword saint and all?"

"Come on now dear, he didn't even move a muscle during our dance, what's a dancer that doesn't move…" The only thing I can do now is stall until I can get more mana, I won't be able to fight properly. "I like you… your eyes are eyes that have experienced death countless times… just like me, ah, I really… really, want to just… cut you open… you know?"

She says that rather lovingly, and with a lewd gaze too, it disturbs me to no end, "If you think our dance is ending, oh you're in for one hell of a beating…" I say rather egotistically. She giggles, rather delighted, "Prey that struggle till the end… their bowels are always fresh when I cut them…"

"What did you say…"

A sudden feeling overcame me, "Hmm?" A maddening aura surrounded me, and my eyes glint red, "You know… if there's one thing that ticks me off… it's when I'm called prey!" A sudden surge of power came through my legs and I lunge for Elsa. Mustering all my strength, I smacked her forehead with all my might and she fell down. Then I choked her down with my hands, draining out all the mana in her body.

"Elsa!" The other girl called out, I look around and several more Ulgram appeared, it just can't get any better than this now, can't it. I let go of Elsa and dashed over to the girl I was supposed to protect, and fended off of the Ulgram, not letting anything get past me.

"I'll teach you all what death means…"

With each kill, I grow weaker, my bloodlust dying out until I can no longer keep it up. "Urgh…" I fall to my knees completely exhausted. I can barely even stand up now.

"So close… if that little one wasn't stopping you, it would've been your win…"

Elsa walked up to me once more, and points her dagger straight at me, "As sad as I am to finish this, a job is a job…" my vision starts to get hazy, and my mind goes numb, having no mana is a bad thing, especially for me who relies on it during battle. My end was imminent, even if I used up my od, running away from an assassin and a pack of Ulgram is not going to be an easy task, I'd just be putting the village in danger.

"Sorry, but I won't allow any more of this"

With the intrusion of another voice, I fling my head up and saw a dozen purple bolts pass by above me, the next moment, all the small fry were dead. "Oh my!" Elsa flipped back and dodged some bolts shot at her and sided with the alpha, "We made a promise, you know?" the owner of the voice said to me, I look to my side and see, "Beatrice… Heh, you don't know how happy I am to see you…"

"Spirits take promises very seriously, but I took this one extra seriously, you know?"  
"Really now? I wonder why that's so…"  
"Because if this one was broken, you'd have to swallow a thousand needles, I suppose. I'm here so that doesn't happen…"

That warmed me up quite a bit, she grabs my hand and invigorated my body once more with her mana, I can fight once more, "So, another dancer would like to join? I wonder how good the little one is…" Elsa says while twirling her blades around, almost mockingly, it ticked us off.

"Betty doesn't need to move a muscle to deal with you, I suppose…" And with that everything froze, Beatrice moves her arm slowly through the air and suddenly time moved once more. A sharp blade of invisible particles sliced straight through the alpha and, ripping its body into two thick slabs of meat.

"My, my, you're a rowdy child, aren't you!"

Beatrice summoned more purple bolts and shot them at Elsa, but she dodged them with ease, the ones she couldn't dodge, she just destroyed with her knives, "In my eyes, your the rowdy child you doesn't know when to die, I suppose. Ul-Lahm" Elsa was slammed to the ground, over and over again, and then to a tree, strong enough that that tree itself broke.

"Hmph, that ends that, I suppose…"

We looked around, there were no more threats anymore, the mabeast user had already fled the scene, the alpha was dead, and Elsa was too, probably anyway, "Still to think that you'd handle them all yourself all while holding onto a little girl, your skills could be compared to the first ever sword saint, I suppose" That was meant to be a compliment, though she couldn't help but drag in an insult as well, "Were it not for you weak build, you could he's actually stand against that man, though, he's dead now"

"Hey, these muscles are stronger than your average mercenary you know! Also, please stop flaunting all your four-hundred-years of knowledge, it makes me feel really stupid for some reason"

I grab my arms, which were sore from the endless fighting that occurred, I don't know how long I've been fighting, but it's already dark, very dark, I pick up my daggers and walk back to Beatrice, who was checking on the little girl, "She's not dead is she?" She shakes her head and glances over to me, "No, just unconscious, you did a good job protecting her"

"Ahh, don't think I want to do that aga-"

In the corner of my eye, I see Elsa's blade heading straight for Beatrice, I anticipated this so I reacted instantly, "Too slow" I deflect the blade with my own as I flipped through the air. Elsa leapt out of the scene, into the forest. Beatrice was about to pursue the killer, but I stopped her, "Leave it, she isn't gonna attack any time soon…"

She nods and we make it back to the village, with me carrying the unconscious girl. Once we reached the village however, I collapsed to the floor, exhausted…

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"I'm here again…?"

Shadows, shadows, and shadows, that's all I saw, I'm back in the place of shadows, but this doesn't feel real at all. I womanly figure sat in front of me, waving, as if greeting me. "Ugh, I totally messed the whole thing up, I got the killer wrong, I mixed up curse and poison, and I forgot about the dog, well, no one died in the end right?"

She nods to me happily, finally, the loops finally cleared, I can finally clear my mind out of things, finally...

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Almost another month for the next chapter, sorry… some of my fingers got cut while I was trying out a new recipe, so my writing hand is now kinda slow. But hey, I broke my limits yet again, 12k words, wow... I'm getting good at increasing my word count now, aren't I?**

 **Anyway, Subaru's timelapse ability, I'm changing it from 15 minutes to 3 minutes, this is important okay.**

 **Other than that… Capella's official design got released. It looks a little loli-ish but it does a good job I guess, "A person with the delusions of a little child that wants attention all to herself" Pretty fitting if you think about it that way. But man, her dragon form is badass, you can't not agree with that!**

 **Also, schools started two weeks ago and I'm already experiencing class allocation problems!**

 **[This peice of text is just so I can bump the rest of the chapter to 12k words, please don't mind me and continue with your day, thanks!]**

 **Jarsdel  
** **Keep writing ya crazy bastard**

Right back at ya! I need me my reviews! You hear me!?

 **Tales From Puck** **  
** **No Guts no glory.  
I'll admit it. I was under the assumption that in order for a curse to be transmitted by a Mabeast- that it should be done via a bite. but if Roy and Ley can do it by licking than what's the difference?  
All of Daphne's creations give me conniptions.  
Congrats on the new mile Stone! And I caught on to your foreshadowing.  
I'll be waiting for the next dance.**

Well, curses need physical contact so I went on that basis and if doggy did bite, it'd be too obvious for Subaru...

 **Wew** **  
Good so for 9.3k**

Thanks, I guess...

 **Stranger** **  
** **Thanks for replying to my review. :)  
Your story is wonderful so don't stop and continue as soon as you forward to it. :D**

You've taken a bit of time to review my story, so it's the least I can do.  
I won't stop anytime soon, that's for sure.  
Ahh, but I am late again... I really am a lazy writer...


	14. Arc 2: Epilogue

**Uploading date: 9/26/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 2: An Everlasting Week**_

 **Epilogue: Onto Reality**

* * *

"So, since we're done with this loop… what's the next hint?" I asked the shadow-cloaked figure sitting in front of me. She put her finger on her lips, in a thinking pose, not that I can see her lips or anything. She rocked back and forth, still thinking of something then something popped in her head and she leaned forward, "Be her representative" she said, extremely clearly.

I was surprised, it's been a while since her voice has been this clear, "Hey, that was a good hint for once! Come one, give me more while you still can" Suddenly getting all giddy, she tried to say more, "Later on, ytu'2e ggyn͙̋g t̖̀o̙̿ ̫̕̚͢ą̐,͊͢ w̯͑o̯͙̚͞ņ͕̗͑́̐,͙̱̺͛̄͒F̮̼̆̌ő̰̦̠̾̎uj̛͓̟̳̰͆̐́P̟̠̂̆á͙̩̼̿̋g̯̭̺͆͂̃Ẇ̭̥͎̪͛́̎K͉̪̖̞̜̎̇̾͒͗S̢̤̬̪̋́̕͡yU̮͎͆͝D̡̚Ţ̐r͔̜̥̳͇̓̒̈́͋̈́x̞̳͐͘h /̧̛͕̯͖͊͂͝ZK̤͞ḑ̢̗̼̰̦̗͊̉̄̄͘͠͞K͙̬͛̍m̧̦͓̗̝̝͔̲̀̏̌̀̑̑̌͠zả̛̛̮̝̦͉͚͋̆̕͢͝ͅ"And she shuts her mouth, it looks like that's all she'll be saying for now.

"Ahh, and there I was hoping the next one would be easy… oh well, guess I'll just have to wait till one of the archbishops show up… So, be her representative you say? Like the whole Emilia camps representative?"

She nods approvingly, "Ugh… That means I'm gonna have to study about politics and whatnot, I don't want to do study anything about politics…" I hang my head down, rather depressed about that idea, my life has been rather carefree for the most of it. Just wandering around, going where she tells me to go, and doing the small things I'm supposed to do in said places, never have I actually done something that takes this much mental effort!

She pats me on the shoulder as if saying, 'It's going to be fine' and I take the gesture literally, "Are you saying I won't need to study anything?" She nods again, making me sigh in relief, I'm not about to study books upon books of politics.

"So then, if that's all I need to do right now, I might as well go and go and check out Beatrice for the library business. Hey, would taking the library be a good thing?" Whatever her answer is, I'll probably take the library anyway, you never what useful books could be there.

She nods, a little too much, "Really? Is the library really going to help me that much?" She shakes her head, disappointedly, seems I've missed her point.

"Then what do I… Oh, bringing Beatrice on my side is a good idea then?"  
"Bing…. Go...!"

Shooting me a thumbs up, she cheered, well that's the end of today's round of charades, I have to get going, "Alright, the more I stay here, the less my chances are to face Rem later on, and we're going to need to talk trust if I'm being the representative" She nods once more, rather dejectedly and she waved me goodbye, and then I was gone.

* * *

"Yaaawn… that was a good rest..."

I open my eyes and the first thing I see was a chair to my side, a very pretty chair, I was in my room, or at least a room in the mansion, "Looks like someone carried me all the way here… and the person who was left with that is…. Right beside me" I turn around the other side and I see a slender figure leaning on the wall, asleep.

"Hey, hey now, is it really a good time to be sleeping? Shouldn't you be looking after someone?"  
"Huwaaah... S-Subaru-kun?!"

She awakened and was scared for dear life, "You were there going all sleeping beauty when there's clearly someone in front of you hurt, for all you know, most of my bones could be shattered right now, have some shame Rem..." I say while shaking my head in disappointment. Jumping up from her leaning posture, Rem quickly bows to me, "Ah! I'm very sorry for attacking you!"

I sigh and get up from the bed, checking out my limbs. "So, where's everyone else?" I ask her while stretching my muscles out. "Uhm, Roswaal is at the village, making final checks to ensure the barrier stones don't get tampered with easily. Nee-sama and Emilia-sama are tending to the villagers that are injured. Beatrice-sama came here with you and told me to tend to your wounds, she then went to the library and she's been staying inside until now…"

"I see, how long have I been out cold?"  
"A few hours… not too long..."

"So, let me guess, when I left, you had to go and restock supplies for the kitchen. While you were going out, you decided to check on where I was going, and as you were doing so, you came across Elsa. Seeing her as a threat, you tried to eliminate her yourself but she was too strong so you decided to summon your horn, but after that happened you completely lost it and changed your target to me since I smell really bad, am I right?"

She nodded guiltily, regretting the things she's done, "Please forgive me, Subaru-kun…" I roll up my sleeves and sit back down on my bed with my head on my hand, "Sorry this, forgive me that, aren't you missing something?" She froze and then grabbed her head, thinking really hard on what she forgot.

"Rem forgot something? What did Rem forget…"  
"Who carried you back here while you were unconscious?"  
"Y-You did…"  
"And so what should you say to me?"

"T-Thank you, Subaru-kun…"

"Good, that's what I wanted to hear… now, for saving you, I'm going to need you to massage my back if you don't mind, it's killing the heck outta me right now" She nods and approaches me nervously, sitting behind me on the bed, and she started rubbing on my probably fractured bones, I can feel them, it hurts a lot.

"I'm really sorry, if only Rem could control it…"  
"No matter how sorry you are, what's done is done, you can't really change that..."

Time passed by rather slowly, and the room stayed silent, just the two of us, it was rather awkward, and boring, "Hey Rem, why do you think of Ram so highly?" I decided to ask her, she stops for a moment, then continues. "Nee-sama is all that Rem has left, Nee-sama is Rem's number one, so is it not weird not to think of her highly?"

"That's… not quite what I meant. Let me ask you, between you and Ram, who's the superior maid"  
"That would be… Rem…"  
"Do you really think that way?"  
"No…"

She hung her head low and stopped once more, I stretched my limbs again and dusted my clothes off, "Despite you being better than her in almost everything, you still think she should be better than you, why's that, I wonder?" I say while getting of the bed, spinning my arm around.

"The reason Nee-sama lost her horn, is because Rem wasn't strong enough to protect herself, and when she lost it, I felt happy, why did I feel like that? Why wasn't I the one cut down? Why did Ram have to suffer through all that? Why was I even born…"

"Heh, so you're feeling guilty about receiving relief from someone else's demise? Well, that sure is something to be guilty about" I grab a chair and sit down, facing the blue haired demon, I tap her head to get her attention, "Listen here Rem. Your human, so- wait, no, you're a demon… I mean, your no different from a human inside you see, even I get that feeling sometimes, even Ram, even Emilia, everyone gets that feeling, it's called being arrogant, wanting to be better off than other people, wanting others to see you better. That's a sin you know? The sin of Pride as the stories call it.

"..."

"Now, I'm not some expert therapist, nor have I ever felt what you felt on that scale, so I have no right to say anything, and I won't, dealing with these kinds of things, they should be done by yourself. But I will say this… you're so god damn annoying!" I raised my voice in the last bit, startling her suddenly.

"W-What?"

"Your like the sword saint who goes and insta-kills everything and says, 'Oh, it was nothing' only, you say 'I'm sure you could have done better' as well, do you know how annoying that gets?! Ugh, I get that your guilty and all but don't push it on us, go brood on your own, someone might actually hate you for that, you know?"

"I-It's… annoying?"

"You have no idea, do you? Geez, I don't know how Ram could have survived seeing you rambling on about how horrible you are and how great she is, it's like a stubborn child crying about how the tooth fairy is real, and here I thought you were older than me… anyway, I'll be going now. Don't think too hard about it"

"You're just going to leave Rem like this?!"

"Yes, Beatrice is waiting for me, promised I'd talk to her about something today, also have to thank her for helping me out in the forest. And Rem, when Emilia and Roswaal get back, tell them I want to have a little talk about the camp and my position in it…" So I leave her behind and walked out of the room, closing the door behind me as I left.

"Okay, guess it's finally time isn't it Beatrice?"

I walk down the hallway until a door opened up beside me, "Yo" I greeted her while raising my hand up. She greets me back with a wave and ushers me inside the library, the smell of books never get old. "Thanks for the save back in the forest, would have been a goner if you didn't show up last minute"

"It's all good, I suppose, want some tea?"  
"Sure, why not"

I took a seat on the stool across her and grab a cup from her little table, sipping down some tea with her, "About the assassin, she left something I thought you might want, I suppose" I raise an eyebrow at her as she threw something at me, "What's this?" I caught it with my hands, it was sharp, another one of her kukri knives.

"Hmm, just like the other one…" It's a high-quality knife for sure, much harder than mine and it can cut really well with it's curved blade. It's also surprisingly lightweight compared to mine, "She must have a pretty big bounty for her to have these on… or maybe she's got some connections to a really good blacksmith, either way, I think I'll borrow her knives for a while…"

I spin it around my finger and laid it down by table slowly, "Finders keepers, I suppose" I chuckle at Beatrice's comment and I chugged down the last of the tea before putting the cup down, "Haah… that tea was tastier than normal… and this room seems cleaner than I last checked"

"These are necessary preparations, now your answer I suppose?" She asks me while staring into my eyes. I take a deep breath in and cross my legs onto the chair, pretending to be in deep thought, "I've thought about it really hard in the past few days, and I've made my mind up that I'd like to take the library off your hands…"

We looked at each other for a while, she then smiled, though it was a weird smile, sweet yet bitter at the same time, "Hah, this was the tensest Betty has been in years, I suppose… I'm really happy that you accepted, but a little sad at the same time…" she got up from her stool and walked over to me. She just stood there, in front of me, as if presenting herself.

"So… do I get like a key or something, or are we going to do some sort of ritual?"  
"Betty has already given you the key to the library, I suppose…"

I furrow my brows in confusion, as far as I recall, she hasn't given me a key yet, "It's on the table, I suppose…" she points to the knife she had given me seconds before, the sharp, bloodied knife of a killer, that's the key, "So that's what this is all about… huh?" I pick up the knife and spun it around my hands once more, then pointed it at Beatrice.

"So… this is what you meant by being your savior?"  
"That is correct, I suppose… you should have seen this coming"

"Ah… well can't really do anything about it, well then, get ready… this isn't going to end well for you, not one bit…" I raise the blade up into the air and got ready to strike down, she closed her eyes and started to shiver, she was scared, just the reaction I wanted, "Betty is ready…" And right after she said that, I…

* * *

"Roswaal-sama, Emilia-sama, Nee-sama, welcome back…"

Rem stood in front of the mansion doors to greet the three as they returned from the village, Emilia came up to Rem and asked her, "Rem, is Subaru okay? Although he just looked tired, there was blood all over him" Rem nods and replies to her superior, "Subaru-kun is fine, he's already awake and has gone to talk with Beatrice-sama, there is nothing to worry, about Emilia-sama…"

"Subaru's gone to talk with Betty? Hmm, this might be the last time I'll get to see her…" Puck murmured to himself, not letting the others hear him.

"Well~ then, Subaru-kun surely is a lively young man, isn't he? Going here and there fighting and whatnot, we're~ lucky we managed to get him into the camp… now, I wonder~ what he would ask for this time?"

"Ah, Roswaal-sama, when Subaru-kun awakened, he asked to have some of yours and Emilia-sama's time, he told Rem he wants to discuss about his 'position in the Emilia camp', he says he will meet with you shortly after he's done with Beatrice-sama, Rem isn't sure how long that will take though…"

"Betty shouldn't keep him for too long, we should go to the conference room and wait for him"  
"Good idea Puck, then I'll go on ahead"

Emilia enters into the mansion with the others following behind, Puck was left on his own though, "Might as well give her a farewell…" He floated inside and around the mansion going through the hallways and peeking through the doors, that's when I suddenly walked out of the room, spinning a knife in my hand, "Ah… Subaru…"

"Oh, Puck, your back, I'm guessing Emilia-san and Roswaal is waiting for me?"  
"Uh, yeah they're in the conference room down the hallway…"

From behind me, he could see flickering lights and he shuddered, I walked past him and closed the door behind me, "You coming Puck?" he shakes his head and follows behind me closely, "Yeah…" We make our way down the hallway and to the meeting room, I open the door and enter with Puck behind me.

"Hey, so how's the village doing?" I asked the two as I seated myself down on one of the couches. The two seemed glad that I was doing fine. Puck floated over to Emilia and landed on her silver hair with a sigh, "The village~ is in harmony thanks to you~ Subaru-kun…"

"I expected as much, though, the typical 'You're a hero' response is getting rather old… but typical responses aside, I don't save people for free you? Okay, well technically I do but this is an exception, you two are aware of that aren't you?" as I took my seat on one of the couches

The two glanced at each other and then back at me, "I'm~ supposing your request isn't~ going to let us off the hook so easily like last time is it…" I nod, "You should expect as much, we are greedy creatures after all…" I stare at them, with eyes that could see through the world.

"..."

The atmosphere suddenly got tense and I sigh, "Simply put, I want in on the big decision making happening over here..." Roswaal, who was sitting rather casually up until now, narrowed his eyes as he leaned forward, Emilia as well, she seemed to have taken a more rigid form now, "Hmm~ Even with how indebted we are to you and how connected you are to us, giving away~ that much authority is going to be… difficult, don't you~ think, Subaru-kun...?"

"Of course it is, you don't just give someone that much power because they don't have anything else to give, then again, if that was true, slavery wouldn't be a thing in Kararagi, but you probably know how bad of a problem that is…"

"Um, Subaru… I don't know why you want to be a head figure in my camp, but I must have you know, being the King is really important for me, I have the weight of hundreds of my kind on the line, I can't risk anything that could potentially make me drop out of the election, so…"

"Hah, running for King with that attitude? That's really funny, what's with that Roswaal, Puck?"

"While it is~ true that Emilia-sama's nature would hinder her performance in the~ election, we are finding a way to work around it…"  
"And if it's Lia's wish to be King, then I have no real reason to refuse, and it's for the better of the world so yeah?"

Emilia looked at me with pleading eyes, begging me to reconsider, a girl like her running for ruler of the country, one wouldn't be far from insane if they thought that she would succeed, "Well~ as I am a man of my word, I just can't not give you what you request, but~ maybe we can reach to a compromise?"

"Compromise? Well then, my request is for everyone to recognize me as the representative of the Emilia camp, I don't care how much power you give me, but I'm to go with you all on every single meeting regarding the royal election, and when the time comes to give a speech, I'll have my share of announcements as well… how's that for a compromise then?"

Emilia and Roswaal glanced at each other, and then back at me, "Well… I guess it's okay, but, it's just that…" Emilia said, with an ever silencing tone, "What~ Emilia-sama is trying to say is~ that we've already prepared someone to be the Emilia camps representative, Subaru-kun… so there could be complications, and having two representatives is a little~ much…"

"Heh? Someone's already lined up before me? Good thing I've got a VIP pass… Okay, we'll go meet up with the guy and cancel it"  
"W-What? We can't just cancel it, that's really rude, Subaru"

"Rude or not, what's happened has happened, no one would willing want to do something for the sake of doing it, the same goes for helping you Emilia-san. No person in their right mind would think to help you without expecting something back, people like those, they don't exist. This person too, he probably just wants to take advantage of you when you least expect it"

"What's~ to say you aren't the same, Subaru-kun…"

"Heh, says the clown who's doing the very same thing I'm doing. Your a Margrave Roswaal, and people of the higher nobility have to keep their image rather high. For you to willingly side with a half-elf is already enough to make the whole kingdom shun you off, so there's a deeper meaning to you helping her out"

"Roswaal?"

"Hah~ Subaru-kun really likes sniffing out the rats from the walls know doesn't he~ It is indeed as he says Emilia-sama, my helping in your uprising isn't completely out of kindness, I too expect for you to return the favor someday in the future…"

Emilia looked rather shocked at Roswaal's confession, and Puck showed a really displeased face, "Uh… I guess you're right…" Emilia says in a low voice. She then looks up to me, in a stern gaze, "I'll accept your request, Subaru… but only under one condition!" Raising a finger up, she shoots up her chair, "You have to work your hardest to help me win in the election!"

"Haah… well, I can't really promise you'll win since we've already had a bad start, but… I can promise you that you won't lose… by default anyway. But like I said, I'll be using you to further my own goals as well, you can use me as you like, and do the same…"

With the rather intimidating declaration, the room went silent once more, but Emilia stomped her foot on the ground, "Absolutely not!" With the tippy top of her voice, she rebuked my declaration of a mutual relationship, and then she herself declares, "There will be no 'using people for yourself'. I will not allow that, we will all help each other in furthering each other's goals, if we only use each other, then we'll never truly be able to see ourselves as a camp, so…" Noticing that she said all that in a rather loud voice, she quickly turns her volume down by covering her mouth, "Ohno, I accidentally shouted…"

"Mhmm… helping each other, that's not a bad idea, I'll agree to that"  
"Indeed~ it would be more beneficial that way"

"H-Huh, you'll accept that?"

"Yeap, wholeheartedly"  
"Really?!"

With Emilia having a big smile on her face, she cried down tears of relief, Puck's clapping can be heard in the background, "Good job Lia, you completed your first ever negotiation! I'm really proud of you" With Emilia and Puck celebrating on their own, I turn over to Roswaal who looks over to me with a nod.

Just then, the door opened and we could all see someone standing by the door, "You were all rather noisy, did something happen?"

"Was wondering when you'd crash in, it's nothing, tell Rem to get ready, from now on, we're all going to experience reality…"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Okay, so onto [Arc 3: Reality] this happens before canon Arc 3 with the whale fight, it's a short arc, mostly for setting up the beginning of the next arc, be excited for that I guess.**

 **And also, woohoo, Volume 17 illustrations in high quality! Now we just gotta wait till December for Volume 18 and Louise!**

 **Basscuss** **  
Badass Subaru is badass, I mean he was able to fight Elsa and a lot of Ulgrams while protecting Petra. If Betty was there they would have destroyed them! Great chapter once again, been a while since I last heard from this story, also nerfing Subaru's Timelapse...well 15 minutes of recall is quite OP even against powerful enemies like Garfiel and Betelgeuse.**

It's not quite overpowered, it's REALLY overpowered, you have to put more emphasis. Subaru can basically pack a bag full of explosives, detonate it, ran away, come back after all the chaos cleared off, and literally recall the bag back, with all the stones explosives intact, I think that's a little bit more than quite overpowered…

Speaking of Garfiel and Betelgeuse, expect more badassery when he fights the two.

 **MNR-AMR**  
 **For some weird reason, that opening made me think that this was a reposted chapter! I could have sworn I read it... That opening, at least twice before. Not sure though, anyways... Good job! You're approaching BBZ territory now! :)**

You've read it before? Hmm… I don't know… maybe you've read… the google doc? Anyway, I sure am approaching BBZ territory, slowly, and surely, but at the same time, I'm not. I feel BBZ is a happy story with a happy ending and all the happy things… yeah, you better not expect any of that reading this story…

 **Whoag** **  
Amazing chapter as usual.**

Ahh, you flatter me.

 **Stranger** **  
Oooh, can't wait for the next chapter. :)**

Well, this chapter closes off this arc, onto the next arc!

* * *

"Betty is ready…"

With the knife in my hand ready and set, I swing down, full force into the spirits head. Even though that amount of force is a little overkill, I don't hold back when it's a strike to the head. A teardrop fell on the floor, and so did a strand of golden hair. I retract the knife and looked at its edge, "Woah, that really is a sharp knife… I just needed to touch your hair, either that or your hair is really weak, Beatrice…"

The teary-eyed spirit opened up her previously shut eyes, "W-Why… you truly are a despicable man… I suppose…" She falls to the ground weakly, but I catch her, and laid her down by a bookshelf, "Did you really think I'd kill you just like that? Even if you wanted death, you were scared of it weren't you…"

"But that's why… that's why you were supposed to end it quickly, in fact…"

The tears rolled down her eyes, tears of fear and disappointment, "If… if you're not going to do it, then j-just leave…" I crouch down in front of her, and grab her chin, facing it to me, "Hmm? You've been suffering for a few centuries, and you want to end it with death right? And since you're a spirit, your not allowed to kill yourself so you've asked me to do it, well then, I completely understand that your reasoning behind that, but… it really pisses me off…"

I stare into her eyes, "You've been suffering, and you want to end your suffering… by inducing more suffering? What kind of dumbass answer is that? Has your brain deteriorated that much through those four centuries?" She daren't look at me, I was a terrifying monster right now, and I sure was acting like one.

"If you want to die so badly… then let me show you the true meaning of death…"

Making sure she leaned onto the bookshelf as far as possible, I swung the knife over to her throat and just as it penetrated, I stopped, "Now... how does it feel? The feeling that you can die at any moment now? Or maybe, your already dead, and you're just imagining all of this? Maybe you won't be able to think anymore because you're dead?"

"S-sto…"

"Maybe you're still alive but you can't think anymore? Maybe all of the things your hearing are being made up? All of these images are just your mind tricking you? Huh, you wanted to die right? This is death, this is what you've been asking for? This is your escape! Do you like it!"

"Stop it… stop this…"

"How do people live with this? You might be asking. Why did you ever think this was a good thing? Why did I want to die? Death? Death is like hell, right? This is the hell you wanted, right!? You wanted to stop the suffering for more suffering right!? Well, here it is!"

"Please stop!"

I threw back the knife, away from her and she fell to the ground, coughing and sobbing, "Tch, seems I lost it again…" I murmur inaudibly. Beatrice was on the ground, shivering, scared, and many other emotions swirling inside her. I fell to the ground with a thump, and I smell myself, I stink even more now, I used timelapse over a hundred times in two minutes, not a healthy dose.

"..."

Beatrice just blankly stares at the ground while I sit down beside her, waiting for her to snap out of it, "H-Hey…" I heard her shriveled up voice, and I turned my gaze to her, she slowly tried to get on her knees, and faced me, "Tell me… that wasn't it right? That wasn't really what happens when you die, I suppose?" Looking at me with such a depressed and wet face, it makes me want to lie to her.

"That really is what happens when you die, take it from a guy who had personal experience with these kinda things…"

"No…" She collapsed onto my knees, grabbing it tightly with one hand, "What… what should Betty do then… either way, Betty has to suffer… tell me… what should I do!" With her small crying figure lurched onto my lap, I can't help but comfort her a little.

"If you die, you get to go through what you just went through but for eternity, if you stay here, you'll have to live the life of an undignified spirit who's failed at what she's done… what will you choose, I wonder?"

"I… don't want this… Betty just wants this to end… Mother… what does Betty do now… please tell Betty to do something… Lewes… please bring me somewhere else, like you always do… please… Bubby… please… someone… please! I don't want to be alone anymore…"

"Hey, Beatrice…" Having quite enough of this, I call out to her in a soft voice, as if I was dealing with a child, "Since your kinda lost, why not follow me around for a while?" She weakly tilts her head upwards, facing me, but her head fell down once more, "Simply living causes Betty grief…"

"Really? Then I'll make the grief go away for a little while, even if it's only for a little while, will you accept?"  
"Simply the thought of living causes Betty grief…"

"Then, what if I distract you so you don't feel grief, will you accept?"  
"Betty just wants to disappear, anything else is just grief…"

"If I said… that I can make you disappear… will you follow me then?"  
"..."

With her deadpan eyes, she stared into mine, and she asks, "You… can do that? You'll do it for Betty…?" her voice weakened with every syllable, she probably won't be able to talk any longer if we keep on going, "I promise you it's possible… but if you want that to happen… then your going to have to follow me a little while, are you okay with that?"

.

.

.

"..."

.

.

.

.

.

"..."

.

.

.

.

.

"I…"

.

.

.

.

.

"I'll follow you then…"

.

Basically what happened was Subaru killed Betty and revived her a split second after, causing her mind to switch between life and death.


	15. Arc 3: Prologue

**Uploading date: 9/29/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 3: Sweet and Harsh Reality**_

 **Prologue: Aurigae**

* * *

"Kah, so [Hasalleh] failed? Tch, she was one of my better meat bags, how could she fail me!"

The woman lashed out to no one in particular, raising her fist, she slammed the chiseled stone floor, destroying it. "The little shit bags are getting an extra bad punishment when they get back!" As the dust settled down, a gaping hole was all that was left of the floor, the other person in the room shuddered a little.

"M-Maam... There might have been complications, so mayb-"  
"Eh? What's that shit bag, you wanna say something! How many times have I said to call me Mama you problem child!"

Grabbing his head with one hand, she threatened to punch him with the other, "Even if [Hasalleh] and [Mahasim] did encounter an obstacle, they came running back, that alone is enough to consider the mission a fail!" Letting go of the person's head, she stomped the ground with her feet, in a rather childish and frustrated manner.

"Mother, you really shouldn't cause harm to yourself, it would ruin your beauty…"

"Shut your mouth [Menkalanin]! Pain is non-existent to me, and even if my beauty were ruined, I could easily just remake myself to something more beautiful! Ah, but your concern for me, your love for me! You truly are a good child deep inside aren't you, [Menkalanin]"

"But my name is Menkalin mother…" The person murmured to himself. The woman, now in a good mood, sat back in her cold, stone chair, humming a tune to herself, "So? What other news do you bring?" The person recomposed himself and walked forward, almost forgetting that there was a large hole on the ground.

"A note came yesterday, it was from the witch…" Upon mentioning that, the woman's eyes perked up, rather interested, "She had asked for me to come over for a little discussion about my entry into the camp… there seems to be a… complication…" He rolls up the piece of paper and throws it to the woman, who's hands extended over to reach for it before it floated down the hole. She quickly skimmed through the text, a mischievous smile formed.

"How fun… I want her dead, not destroyed you hear me, [Meknalanin], take some of your friends with you and bring her to me, and remember what I said, I want her intact..."

"As you wish, mother…"  
"Even if you are a problem child, at least you aren't a disappointment like [Alnath]"  
"I would never leave you, not like [Alnath] did…"

The person bowed down to the woman and turned back to leave the room. He heaved the large door open and closed it once he left, leaving the woman to herself, "You aren't going to stand in my way witch… the worlds love, it all belongs to me… and only me…"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **And here we are starting off with Arc 3! Hope you all enjoy the mysteries it reveals! Everything in [] are nicknames or titles you can say.  
**

 **MNR-AMR**  
 **Heya, that's quite interesting. BBZ... My 230K word masterpiece, haah... Quite saddened about it still, ya know?**

 **Anyways, I do think I read the Google doc. But then I got confused since I forgot where the link was? Something weird happened, at least, and that particular ending with Beako... Sounds quite like something she would need to be forced out of her hole. Some kind of intense emotions to force her on or a traumatic event to do so, either would work.**

It's in my bio if you want the link. Also, about Betty and her 'hole' as you say… Subaru will probably do what he has to so Betty would enjoy being alive, but to Subaru, a promise is a promise, and the same applies to Betty. So, if you're catching what I mean, he will make her 'disappear', it's part of the deal they made in the end of the arc.

"If I can make you disappear, will you follow me?"  
"I'll follow you then…"

 **Whoag**  
 **That part with Rem and Subaru, since he didn't give her that talk as he did in the original series I wonder how this will effect Arc 3.**

Eh, just saying, not much would change relative to the canon storyline, this Subaru won't break down like canon Subaru (he's a big boy you see) so Rem doesn't really need to do her "From Zero" speech, and even if she had to, she wouldn't do it for this Subaru.

* * *

 **Character sheet**

 **1.)Menkalin**

 **Age:- 25  
Likes:- Unknown  
Dislikes:- Emilia**

 **Magic:- [Redacted] Magic  
Weapon of choice:- N/A**


	16. Arc 3: Chapter 1

**Uploading date: 10/13/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 3: Sweet and Harsh Reality**_

 **Chapter 1: The Town of Fareille**

* * *

"It's time to wake up sleepy head! Wake up, wake up" I say while rocking the bed back and forth, the person sleeping on said bed grumbled in annoyance as they covered themselves up with a blanket, my blanket. "Hey, If you're not going to wake up I'll make sure you won't get any mayo for the next five weeks"

"N-No! I'm up, I'm up, I suppose!"

Shooting straight up, my blanket flew out of the bed and onto the ground, the spirit, with her ruffled hair reforming back to their drills, looked at me with pleading eyes, "Good, now that your up, go and take a bath" I say while pointing finger out the door, she looked at me, rather shell-shocked.

"Great spirits don't need to shower, I suppose!" She retorted, not at all wanting to leave my bed, what a whiny great spirit Beatrice had turned out to be, "No, remember, you're no longer a great spirit, so you can't whine about not wanting to take a shower. And what kind of great spirit oversleeps anyway?"

"Your so cruel, I suppose. Doing something like this to Betty…"

So, let's recap everything that had happened so far. Two nights ago, I had finally made contact with the assassin that has been tormenting this mansion for about a week or so, speaking in terms of loops I'll have you know. After successfully driving her and her other friends off, I retire back to the mansion and took a few hours of well-deserved rest. After waking up to a sleeping maid, I tell her how annoying she is, and then leave, right after, I had gone over to the library for a little discussion with Beatrice, things happened and I happened to stop her from dying, though regrettably, I technically did kill her a few times…

"Your petty little words are no match for my unwavering heart, you'll never make me feel guilty so you might as well give up"

The two of us had reached a mutual agreement, though you probably only heard the words 'If she follows me, she gets to disappear', the actual agreement was a little more complex. Firstly, she was to be my contracted spirit until her disappearance, secondly, she is to drop her alias as a great spirit and refer to herself as simply 'A young girl' and she would be serious in that. Though that may sound random, it is absolutely necessary for her disappearance. Thirdly, due to her being an artificial contract, we are under a bounded contract, and as such we have our conditions and consequences. I've already stated the conditions, so onto the consequences.

One, both of us share a connected gate, meaning any mana I or Beatrice lose or gain will result in both of us losing or gaining mana.  
Two, neither of us are allowed to get mana from a non-volatile source, so we are only able to absorb atmospheric mana and self-generated mana.  
Three, if the contractor, in this case, me, were to die, the same would happen for Beatrice, though, it doesn't work the other way round.  
Four, if I am afflicted with a certain [Redacted], then Beatrice will also perish to the same [Redacted]. This doesn't apply the other way round.

"Why should I take a bath if I don't need one, I suppose!"  
"Because young girls are supposed to take baths in the morning, why else?"

After we were done with forming the contract, I head over to Emilia and Roswaal and negotiated for a higher position on the camp, and I managed to snag it before some other dude got it, and so we decided to go and meet this guy and cancel all his entry into the camp, which brings us to now.

"No fair, I suppose! Why did you have to make such an absurd condition!"  
"It's all so I can make you disappear without a hitch"

I drag her out of my room and out into the hallway, dropping her onto the ground, "Treating Betty like she is trash, is something wrong with you, I wonder?!" She blurts out rather angrily while turning her head away in a pout, I yawn, I hadn't any sleep last night, because I was studying for my position, damn witch tricking me into doing this. Anyway, the other reason I didn't sleep was that Beatrice was sleeping in my bed, I'm not really comfortable with sleeping beside a 'Young girl', and I'm definitely not comfortable with Ram scoffing to me about it.

"Rem, you there?"

I knock a door, the one adjacent to the one I just left, I hear footsteps from the other side and a little panting too, the doorknob turned, "Yes, Rem is here, I have finished cleaning out the new room, Subaru-sama" Rem shows herself with a duster in hand, bowing down like any proper maid should, I am now her superior.

"Good, good, we'll be filling that room with a lot of things so don't tire out just yet"  
"Rem isn't the kind to tire out from a mere sweeping, Subaru-sama…"  
"You say 'mere sweeping' but you literally cleared out a whole library, you make me feel like my time as a butler was nothing…"

"In truth, Subaru-sama, it truly was nothing. Nee-sama has at least worked some amount of time to take some stand against Rem, but Subaru-sama hasn't even worked a week yet, what you've done truly doesn't amount to anything, but regardless, I appreciate the help, Subaru-sama, even if it accounts to nothing"

"Okay, now you're just rubbing it all over my face… anyway, mind taking Beatrice in for a dip, she won't do it unless someone does it for her, and I can't exactly do that, you know?" Pointing over to Beatrice who was still sitting down on the hallway, I ask Rem for assistance. "I understand, Subaru-sama, it would be an honor to help bathe the great spirit"

"That's where you are wrong maid, Betty is simply a young girl- Gah! Why is Betty being forced to refute, I suppose!"  
"It's how a contract works, you are to be referred to as a 'Young girl' so accordingly, you have to make sure people think of you as one too"  
"Why has fate bound me with such a cruel contractor, I suppose!"

Rem decided to pick Beatrice up and drag her away, leaving me alone, free from the whining of the spirit child. "Okay, let's take a look at the new room shall we?" Having said that, I walk into the room Rem just walked out of, and the first thing I noticed was, space, just a butt load of space.

"I know the library was big, but man, this is a little much…"

Not only was it open, but it had an elevated second floor kind of thing as well, with stairs to accompany it. Being as big as a lounge, this would be the perfect place for a multi-purpose room, "And that's exactly what we'll make it into! We'll get a few walls in to separate some rooms for personal room and… yeah, this is great!" I nod off to my thoughts and before I know it someone was behind me.

"Ahem"  
"Oh, Nee-san, morning"

I turn around and not to my surprise, there was Ram, with her usual bored and indifferent look, "The carriages have already arrived, they had replied rather quickly, a bit too quickly for Ram's pace but quick nonetheless, make sure you get ready Barusu… or would you rather me call you Barusu-sama?" she asks keeping with her indifferent look.

"Umm, I'd rather you not, makes it sound like you're mocking me or something…"  
"Who's to say I wasn't mocking you?"  
"Gh… you really know how to hit me with words don't you, Ram?"

"Only a master of words such as Ram would be able to do such a thing, don't you think?" Dropping her indifference, she shoots me a rather smug look, kinda ticks me off a little, but I hold it in, "So, we're leaving already? They're pretty eager to see me then"

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Barusu, the person made no mention of you. He only wishes to speak with Emilia-sama and Roswaal-sama"  
"Really now! Interesting, this guy thinks he can just brush me off, well well, I'll show him that I'm not something you can just ignore!"

"Barusu, I suppose you could tone down your voice a bit? Ram's ears will die if you scream anymore" Showing a rather displeased look, Ram turns around and walks away, leaving me and my temper behind. Snapping out from my sudden rage, I walk to catch up with Ram, "So Ram, tell me a little about this guy"

"His name is Menkalin, he was born in Gusteko and moved to Lugnica it seems, he is a little older than the both of us and he is a rather well-known man, or so I heard anyway… To be completely honest, I don't exactly trust him much, he gives the air of a traitor, though I don't have anything that proves it…"

"If Nee-san is suspicious, then I'm sure there is something in the works behind the scene here…"  
"Hmm, your unwavering trust to me is admirable, if you continue to do so, I might just think of you more like a human"

"Okay, now that was just plain mean Nee-san…"

We both make our way down the hallway and split off soon after when he passed the kitchen. I sent on without her and reach the dining hall where everyone else was idling in. "Morning guys" I greet them as i entered.

"Good morning, Subaru"

"It's~ good to see that you've already recovered so quickly"

"Recovered is a stretch, I've still got a few sore ribs here and there, but I guess this is nothing to worry about, something like a few broken bones is nothing to me… ah, also, I've read up on all the books you gave me last night, Emilia-san, was a nightmare but I managed through all of it…" I slump down to a sit beside Emilia and rest my head on the table with a sigh, it really was tiring.

"E-Eh?! You're already done? You read all the books in one night?!"

"Uh yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what I said?"

"My~ Subaru-kun is rather diligent in studies, isn't he? Even without a single distraction, I~ would have taken at least two whole days to absorb everything. You truly~ are something admirable"

"Oh no, it takes me at least one day to finish a book, if I continue on like this, both Roswaal and Subaru will leave me behind, I have to study harder!" Though she intended to say that all in a low voice, we both heard it. An excellent resolve she's shown nonetheless, but it's for naught I guess, "There's a difference between being able to do something and wanting to do something… but I guess you could brute force your way with willpower"

"Hnn, I wouldn't advise that Lia, you'd tire out before you'd finish anything… You should just go at it at your own pace" Awakening from his slumber, the grey cat spirit landed on the dining table with a fluffy yawn, his fur is as silky as ever huh. "Morning, Subaru…"

"Mornin"

"Mhm," Roswaal starts nodding his head, with his hand on his chin, "I whole~heartedly agree with the great spirit, we do want a healthy king after all… And looking at our team~ as of now, with Subaru-Kun's quick-wittedness, the great spirits title, my backing, and Emilia-sama's natural charm, we have a chance..."

"Emilia-san's natural charm is rather ironic isn't it, though you are right, she does give the air of a beautiful mature woman, despite how naive she is…" We all, with the exception of Emilia, nodded to that sentiment.

Soon after, the door opened and in entered three more, Rem, Ram, and Beatrice. Oh, and it seems Beatrice has a new hairstyle, "Good job on her hair Rem, seriously, your like the mother of all jack of all trades, as expected of Rem…"

"As far Rem remembers, Rem has never given birth to, nor taken care of a child, Subaru-sama, but I do thank you for the compliment. Nee-sama's hair is rather short so it is difficult to stylize and Emilia-sama's hair is being taken care of by Puck-sama, Having the chance to do Beatrice's hair is like a dream…"

Beatrice looked rather displeased, no, she was fuming with rage, and it was all directed at me. She approached me with her fist shaking, is she going to try and punch me? With that flimsy frame? I should stop her before she hurts herself. "Haah…"

Haah? What's supposed to mean? After that sudden sigh, she takes the seat beside me and sits down quietly, well that was rather anticlimactic now wasn't it? "Isn't this the moment where you're supposed to let out all your rage on me or am I just stupid?"

"If Betty were to be foolish enough to play along with you, then I truly would be nothing more than a young girl, a great spirit should keep her composure all the time, something like this won't make Betty budge at all, I suppose"

"Eh, your sure acting all mature"

Ram and Rem then came forth with a set of trays and served the usual glorified dishes they always made, just this time, I wasn't there to help. They never cease to amaze me now, do they? "So… the usual it is?" "The usual indeed, Subaru-sama…" They proceeded to lay out the metal trays, the drinking glasses, and the bottles of sauce and mayo.

The perfect like any man could have wished for, I have just gained, the only probelm is…

"Uh? Wait, why is the mayo bottle out already?" It's only been a minute or two and we're already out of mayonnaise. I look around and I can see why. It seems not only Beatrice, but everyone else has taken an extreme liking to this dressing that I've introduced, damn it, I really should have just kept the mayonnaise to myself!

* * *

The day passes on and we all prepared for our leave, it was about noon when we decided to set out, some place called Fareille, a town south of Roswaal's territory. If it's that far south, there's no wonder why I haven't heard of it, that place isn't exactly walking distance, "So, how does this town look like?" I ask Roswaal, who should be familiar with the land surrounding his own territory.

Putting on a thoughtful look he replies a little hesitant, "The last~ time I've been there was quite some time ago, so my memory of it might be a little~ fuzzy… but I do know that it is quite the sight. As far as looks go, one could mistake it for a very large village, the houses are simplistic and the~ people don't exactly wear flashy clothing, I've heard it's because the people of the town would rather it not turn into a big hotspot. That being said, it's rather famous for its sudden snow season that happens later in the year..."

"Snow? So it's somewhere near the mountains huh? Well, I can see why he's taken a liking to it, must remind him of home or something… So is that it? There anything special about it besides snow and olden looks?"

"Other than that, I~ wouldn't say there is much appeal, in the end, it's simply a town that snows"  
"That sounds boring, I suppose…"

"Saying it's outright boring is jumping straight to conclusions, from the sound of it, this place sounds more calming that boring… a calm town by the mountainside, sounds like it would make for a rather good vacation site don't you guys think?"

"In fact, many lower nobles visit the place, Subaru-sama…" Returning from the driver's seat, Rem enters the conversation with surprising information, "Rem has heard that many lower nobles were originally commoners so that may be the reason why they decided to go to a town with such a rural setting…" She took her seat beside Emilia.

"Ah, I guess that makes sense… anyway, how long until we reach Farielle"  
"It won't be long, we're almost there…"

I take a look outside the window, and I can barely make out what could be the roof of village houses, so they really are a town with a village look huh. Wanting to take a better look around, I hop out into the driver's seat with Ram and scanned the surroundings, not much plantation around, we were going up a mountain, not a hill so that is expected.

"If you're just going to look around, you might as well just get off the carriage, Barusu, your disturbing Ram's perfect concentration"  
"Aww come on Ram, do you really hate me that much? And, you never know when there could be bandits on the road yeah?"

"Bandits wouldn't be a problem, not when Ram is always watching" She huffed rather proudly while holding onto the reins, just how big does her ego get? "How can you be so sure about that?" I sit down beside her, the driver's seat is much more comfortable than I expected, not the kind I'm usually used to sitting on.

"Ram's clairvoyance can see through anything within a one-mile radius, bandits aren't going to get the jump on us anytime soon, with me on watch, a rather exquisite ability for a person befitting of Ram don't you think, Barusu? You may compliment Ram how you like"

Okay, she's got one hell of an ego right there, "Wait, so is that why I feel like I've been watched everywhere I walk! Was that you peeping on me?!" No, it definitely was, there is no other explanation for such a thing! She saw everything or at least some things without my consent, wait, then maybe she heard me say things? No, clairvoyance doesn't let you hear anything does it, it's only seeing, right?

"Look at your sorry face, it's rather pitiful… and yes, it was indeed Ram, but don't get the wrong idea, as your supervisor at the time, it was something that Ram had to do, and I didn't want to physically be in the same room as you, so this ability of Ram's is rather convenient"

"I feel so violated! Please don't do that to me ever again"  
"I'm afraid I won't be able to promise you that"

"What are you, my mom?!"

After a little longer, we finally made it to the town, and as expected, it was calm, and simplistic. "Good day sir, madam…" The gatekeeper who happily left his post to greet us, bowed down in a respectful manner, "You are here to visit a bit, yes?" He asked me. I turned behind and banged on the glass window, "Yo, Rossy! How long are we staying here again?"

"My~ you needn't be so loud, Subaru-kun"  
"Oh, sorry, thought these carriages were soundproof…"

Roswaal peeked through the window and talked a bit with the gatekeeper, he then let us enter after talking about some rules and things. Ram guided us towards an inn that we were supposed to stay in, and I look around the town, "For such a calm town, there's a lot of people here isn't there" I can see people talking, playing, and some performing, but the overall feel is calming, this would indeed make for a great vacation spot.

Once we arrived at the inn, we see a man approaching towards us, was this the Menkalin guy? No, this looks more like a butler or personal assistant, "Greetings, Roswaal-sama, Emili-sama, and sir… I'm afraid to tell you but Menkalin-sama has encountered a problem while coming here so he wishes for you to wait a day until his arrival…"

"Is he okay?" Emilia asks worriedly to the butler, and he shakes his head, "There is no need to worry, Emilia-sama, it was merely a transportation problem. His carriage broke down as he was coming and it needs to be fixed before he's to continue, I do hope you enjoy your stay until then…" He shows us inside the inn and everyone enters, well everyone but me and Beatrice.

"Yo, we haven't introduced ourselves properly now haven't we?"  
"Ah, sorry for my rudeness… Tau Epsilon, a pleasure to meet you…"

He's a really formal guy, and he's bowing posture is extremely professional, such a graceful bow, "Natsuki Subaru, nice to meet you, this here is Beatrice, a good friend of mine" Me and Beatrice take turns shaking his hands, a firm handshake, this guy has a strong grip, "Will you be coming in?" He asks us while holding the door open.

"Oh, no, not really, we're going to check around the town a bit before we get in"  
"Of course, the town of Farielle is a rather great town for sightseeing, I do wish you return for dinner"

"Will do, see ya" I wave off and walked off to the distance, Beatrice following behind me. "What was that about, I suppose…?" Beatrice asks, giving me a skeptical look, as if she's already seen through me, "You were giving off a rather hostile feeling to the man, though only Betty has been able to feel it"

"Heh… that guy, he had a faint smell on him that I'm a little concerned about…" That's right, he has a string of miasma around him. Miasma is extremely hard to clear out, but it isn't impossible, that guy was able to clear out his miasma to some extent, but I was still able to catch onto it, but if he has some miasma, then obviously, it can only mean one thing.

"I've marked him as a hostile, his eyes, the way he shook our hands, his whole posture, no doubt, he's a professional assassin… and he's also marked me as a target, he's able to smell the miasma around me and not only that, but I refused his offer when he asked if we're going inside, that can be interpreted as an 'I don't trust you' kind of gesture, we've already put ourselves in a bad position by being here"

"Wait, an assassin? Then wouldn't it be a bad thing to leave the girl there, I suppose?! If worse comes to worst, Bubby would destroy this whole town, you know" Giving me a worried glance as she should, Beatrice told me of the impending doom that could possibly await us, quite scary that Puck could do that.

"There's nothing to worry about Beatrice, it's not the assassin part that we have to worry about, you see this Menkalin guy is probably going to try and negotiate his position back, it is in his full benefit that Emilia is alive until then, there won't be an assassination until after said negotiations fail, so there's no need to rush things…"

"Then…"

"What we should be worrying about, is the fact that he's a witch cultist…" Quite stunning information, even Beatrice was a little shocked, "If we mess up somehow, there will be blood everywhere, cultists attack in groups, a lone wanderer doesn't exist unless they're on some spy mission or something, Rem should have noticed the lingering scent in the air and is probably on high alert, that's why we can leave Emilia's protection to her, for now, our job is to stand still and watch what happens around town…"

I lead her to what could only be a playground, it was open and there aren't that many people, but it was enough so that we wouldn't be spotted too easily, "Wait, why are we here, I suppose?" Beatrice stopped just in front of the playground, looking rather hesitant to enter for some reason, "Why do you think we're going here?"

"No… no, no no, Betty doesn't approve of this, I suppose!"

She was about to run away but a mysterious force stops her from going any farther, "Now Beatrice… it's time to play…" Grabbing her by the shoulder, her facial expressions deteriorates, one of despair, doom, death, whatever you want to call it, "Nooo!"

* * *

"Curse you…" she spouts out as I push the swing she sat on, she keeps on cursing me but I think she's actually enjoying this, though that might just be because of the consequences of our contract, "Guh…" she kicks at me shin, though she didn't put much power in it, there was still a little bit of pain.

But that wasn't the end of it, she turned around and started to kick me all around my leg, weak they were, painful, they were as well, "Alright, alright, i'll stop then, heh" Letting go of the swing, it quickly hops off and sits down by a nearby bench and sulks by herself, does she really it that much?

"I use to enjoy the swings a lot when I was little, heck, I still do to this day, I was sure you'd like it as well…" I decided to sit on the swing myself. "Don't lump Betty with the likes of you, I suppose. Such a thing isn't fit for someone like me"

"Eh, so you really didn't like it? Hmm, then what do we do about that… maybe you'd rather go on a slide, or maybe one of those sandboxes to make some mountains or something"

"Do you not understand Betty when she says she dislikes this place, I suppose?!"

Geez she's so loud, didn't know spirits could be this much of a hassle to satisfy, she's also dragging quite a lot of attention to us, it's probably because we're dressed in rather fine clothes, "I thought that our contract would trick you into actually liking this place but I guess that won't work, then we'll have to actually do something then" I get off the swing and kick some dust up, Beatrice came by my side and we left abruptly.

"Now… I'd love to go scout and take out some people, but doing that would probably put them on high alert"  
"You're saying some rather scary things, I suppose"

The miasma is leading me to many different locations, I'll probably scout it out later tonight with rem so we can trickle down their numbers before anything bad happens, "Well, since there's nothing much we can do now, we might as well go and eat back at the inn, the suns starting to set… I want to see how much I can get out of that guy without causing any suspicion"

We took a few detours around the town just so I at least know what is where, it'd be pretty awkward if I got lost while scouting the place. There were several food stands and many jewelry stores around town, even blacksmiths were here, I did hear that this place was located near a mine so it's understandable that they have these store around. Moreover, I see many mercenaries and merchants in this one area, must be the adventurer's district where most of the excitement takes place in.

"While I'm here, I might as well go and buy some new equipment" I say while taking a glance at a store that caught my eye, "Count Betty out, I suppose, I'm going straight to the inn" she didn't even leave a second for me to reply, she just went off on her own, darn her for leaving me all alone, or should that be the other way round? No, she's older than me by a long shot, she's not supposed to leave me!

"Ah, well, nothing to be done about it now huh?"

With her leaving, I decided not to waste time either, I walk over to the weapons shop and open the door, a bell chimes as I enter, "..." A shopkeeper, and another guy inside, I don't know either, the guy looks like your usual mercenary, not too buffed but I can tell he's kinda strong.

"Afternoon, there something you'd like?" The shopkeeper asks while sliding his arms down the counter, he has a rather nice collection of weapons, though, the weren't exactly my type of weapons, "You have anything that can top this?" I drag out Elsa's kukri blade from my sack and showed it to the shopkeep, he examines it and gave me a surprised look.

"A Northern Kukri, you must be crazy rich to have one of these, heard they're one of the best made in Gusteko… If you're looking for something more lighter or sharper than this, then I hate to say it by all my products are inferior, what's some rich guy like you doing in this town anyway?"

"Rich is an overstatement, I just got a proper job like, a week ago, and I didn't buy it from anyone, I scavenged it from an assassin that set their sights on me, regrettably, I couldn't kill her, but I got her blades, so it wasn't a total waste" Having heard that, the two shivered. The shopkeeper returned the blade to me.

"Since I don't have anything better than that, maybe I could interest you in some other equipment?" Showing me over to a section of the store with clothing, storage bags, and many other things, I was intrigued. "Each of these cloaks are enchanted, and these sacks are weaved with bits Yin gemstones to increase their storage space, honestly, their the best I have to offer you"

Indeed these were interesting, especially the enchanted cloaks, it's like the ones Elsa wore at the capital I'm suspecting, "You got any that cancels out smell? I need two of those" Scanning through the cloaks, the shopkeeper takes out four, all of them have the same colour but were for different sizes, "Take your pick"

Picking out two that would suit both me and Rem, I tried out mine, not only does it look nice, it feels nice too "How much for both of them?" "Fifty silvers for each" Man these things are not expensive as I thought they are, good thing I snuffed out some money from Roswaal just before we left the mansion.

"Deal, also, give me your biggest sack" I put down a gold coin, a few silvers, and a copper down on the counter and bought them all just like that. I then left the store, time to head back to the inn for dinner or whatever. I stuff the cloaks down into my newly bought sack and they fit rather nicely, these sacks are rather great, it's only twice the size of my old one and it can hold up to five times more, a good deal I struck with this.

"Oh, well look who's come to pick me up…"

Stopping in my tracks, I faced the figure in front of me, "So what's this all about, Rem?" It was indeed Rem, it seems she's decided to come for me, the sun's already set and everyone's probably eating dinner, though I don't think she came here just to call me in, "Rem's senses have been going off the charts since coming here, Rem can't hold herself anymore, so Subaru-sama, Rem would like you to help Rem with satisfying this urge"

"If you say it like that, it would make quite a lot of room for misunderstanding you know? But I get it, I'm also kinda itching to go and just chop some heads off, but we'll have to do it quickly, luckily I got was prepared for something like this… Rem, listen closely, we're only killing lone cultists, attacking groups whether they are two or ten is off limits, and we also don't want them or anyone else to find out what we're doing, got it?"

"Understood, Subaru-sama…"

With that, we ditched dinner, going through to an empty side of town, we decided to go out for a little night hunting, the fun is just about to start...

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Okay, so as I said, this is a set-up arc to prepare for the next so it won't have too many big things happening in it… Anyway, onto other matters.**

 **It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, my writer's block doesn't cease to kill my writing and I fear I might actually start getting worse at writing because of this, well, we'll just have to wait until arc 4 hits so I can spam out chapters since it's easier that way!**

 **Also, anyone going to watch Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken! I know I am! The manga was just too good!**

 **Character sheet:**

 **1.) Tau Epsilon**

 **Age: 20-ish  
Likes: N/A  
Dislikes: N/A**

 **Magic: None  
Weapon of Choice: Any  
**


	17. Arc 3: Chapter 2

**Uploading date: 10/22/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 3: Sweet and Harsh Reality**_

 **Chapter 2: Poison-laced facade**

* * *

"Shamak!"

Engulfing my target in a cloud of darkness, I leap forward with Elsa's kukri knives and I silently stab the man through his chest, his heart was no more, "Damn, these are much sharper than I thought they were…" Maybe I hit a sweet spot, maybe my own flesh was harder to pierce through, or maybe I underestimated myself, no matter the trivial reason, I know one thing, "I'm already loving these knives!"

"Subaru-sama, please lower your voice, we might be heard…"  
"Oh, sorry about that, this knife is just way too good..."

Rem lands gracefully beside me and picks up the corpse of the impaled cultist, we have to remove any and all traces of them, nothing must be left of this covert mission, "Where should we dispose of them?" A good question, we need to put them somewhere where people wouldn't check around, "We need to find a place which can cover their smell, if we do that, then it should be okay…"

"Might I suggest feeding them to the nearby Mabeast, Subaru-sama?"  
"Woah, you really are a cruel woman under that cute facade huh? I'd feel bad for the person who's wise enough to cheat on you, heh"  
"Very funny, Subaru-sama…"

Gazing at me with a frightening glare, Rem's stance suddenly changed, and it doesn't look good for me, "O-Okay, before this escalates any more, let's go and find some Mabeast…" Before Rem had a chance to retort, I had already cast Murak on myself and am on the run, though, it didn't take her long to catch up.

"So what kind of mabeast live here anyway?"  
"Rem is not sure herself, Rem was thinking Subaru-sama would know since you were a wanderer"  
"Well, I've never been to a mountain in particular so I don't really know…"

We jump from rooftop to rooftop, making sure we aren't heard or seen, these cloaks really do help a lot. Not only do they cancel out the smell of blood, but they also blend in with the night sky, a perfect recon tool. "Subaru-sama to your left!" Seeing something in the corner of my eye, I swung out the kukri knife and it clashed with what could only be a dagger.

I landed back down and the dagger landed beside me, as I expected, it was a cultist's dagger, those have a really distinct look. I face the direction where it originally came from and I saw a hooded figure, it doesn't seem like he's going to flee, does he think he can take us? Or he is he buying time for reinforcements? "Either way, I'll have to silence you"

This is a really bad position to be in, most of the town is made of village style houses so breaking a few things is very much possible, that's not something that I can let happen if I'm going to continue hunting these guys down, "El-Goa" While I was thinking of the dangerousness of the situation, the cultists had already chanted his first spell, and it just had to be Goa.

"El-Kardese!"

As the small balls of flames approached me, I set up a barrier in front of me, though it isn't the usual kind of barrier. With the El-class, the barrier absorbs any mana-based attacks instead of physically blocking it, makes for a silent shield and one that doesn't disrupt the surroundings, quite useful for the occasion. "Let's try not to burn down a few houses please" The fireball hit the barrier and got completely absorbed, no trace of it left.

I leap for him just as he was about to cast another one, but he managed to dash away just in time. "Goa!" He shot a smaller flame towards me, not as large as the last one so I easily deflected it with the kukri knife. Right after deflecting it, I lobbed my knife straight at the cultist who just casually jumped off the rooftop, it hit its mark on his left shoulder, but that wasn't enough.

"Ul-Go-!"

Before he could chant another spell, a spiked metallic ball impaled him directly in the head, slamming him down to the dirt floor with a loud thump. I see Rem land beside the limp cultist, making sure he was dead, "Quickly, before anymore catch sight of us…" I pick up this one, and the two of us are on the run once more.

After sneaking around, we made it to the town's walls, which were surprisingly large, not large enough that we couldn't cross over, though, "Now, let's see…" We walk for a bit until we were at a fair distance away from the town, we then set the corpses down and wait for a bit, thanks to the smell of blood and the lurking miasma it shouldn't take long for them to find us.

"Hey Rem, have you ever seen this Menkalin guy?"  
"Rem is afraid she hasn't, Subaru-sama… Why do you ask?"

"Call me crazy or paranoid but I just don't like the sound of him…" Menkalin, just from his name, I can tell this isn't an ordinary guy. Menkalinan is one of the stars in the Auriga constellation, in other words, it's a star name. I'm not exactly sure what it's exact meaning is, but I'm sure it isn't good, well, it can be safe to assume that he's part of the Witch-cult if he has one.

"Although Rem has nothing to say about this Menkalin, Rem is most definitely wary of his attendant, the feeling he gives puts Rem slightly off…"

As we were discussing all this, we hear the bushes rattle behind us, looks like a customer has finally decided to pay a visit, "Yes, yes, come here, dinner is served!" I cut one of the corpse's arm and toss it over to the rattling bush. Without a second to spare something leaped out of it, four-legged, hairy, and awfully large, it's a two legged-hyena. Rem takes the corpses and throws it to the mabeast, it glared at us rather angrily as it caught the food we threw over.

"Well you're a feisty one aren't you? Okay Rem, let's go, we'll call it a night here"  
"Rem would have loved to get some more, but as you wish, Subaru-sama…"

Leaving the beast to itself, we walk away. I'm not sure how long we've been scouting the area for, but it wasn't tha~t long, but you never know, time flies faster when you're having fun right? "Subaru-sama, you haven't eaten dinner right?" Rem asks me, I reply with a simple nod as I face her, "Then please allow Rem to treat Subaru-sama to anything he wants"

"How considerate of Rem… or not, you just don't want to cook another meal just for me right? Heh, your evil just like Ram is inside, aren't you..."  
"Subaru-sama is rather perceptive, isn't he… and please don't call Nee-sama, evil, she is a masked angel that is full of love and flowers"  
"An angel full of love and flowers eh? Kind of ironic since you two are demons don't you think?"  
"No one says demons couldn't be angels, Subaru-sama. And even if there are, Rem would have bashed them down by now"

Her continuous admiration of Ram is so great that it actually scares me, it's even bigger than Ram's own ego! But that's siblings for you, there's no way they'd oppose each other when they're like this, "Well then, I guess it's better this way, let's get going then" We jumped over the town walls once more and sneak our way back into the streets, we stashed our cloaks back inside the sack, we can't have anyone suspecting us now can we.

We picked a random restaurant and just ate whatever they had, I heard from nearby tables that this town was famous among chefs for having top quality salt, as a person who thinks salt tastes the same everywhere and anywhere, things like 'this salt is the best in the world' doesn't really matter to me, on the other hand, "You're going to try and get a bit of this 'top quality salt' aren't you Rem?"

"Of course, Subaru-sama, as a chef herself, Rem absolutely cannot waste this golden opportunity to expand on her knowledge"

"Well, while you're doing that, might as well get whatever I want as well…" And so the night passes, Rem was going as far as taking notes from the chef himself while I just gobble up on what I think looks good, and it was, for the most part, good, but for some reason, Rem has this certain flavor that just makes hers infinitely better, no amount of seasoning or spice can make a normal dish as good as her own.

"Still, I didn't know Rem was so passionate about cooking"

"It's less of being passionate about cooking, and more about being passionate on making Nee-sama the ultimate dish, Subaru-sama, to be honest, cooking for anyone but Nee-sama is of no interest to Rem" So it all roots back to Ram huh? Well, what could you expect?

"You know? It's kinda funny how just a while ago we mercilessly slaughtered two people, and now we're eating rather carefree by a nearby restaurant"  
"Subaru-sama, please tell Rem that you have no feelings of any kind other than malicious intent for those cultists…"

"Of course, I don't feel bad for killing them in the least, but it just got me thinking… if an onlooker were to judge that situation without knowing beforehand the circumstances of each side, they'd most definitely make us out to be the bad guys. Yes, and just like that, justice is subjective to how one perceives to be wrong and right, in other words, if society doesn't accept it, it might as well just be eradicated… don't you think Rem?"

I give her a look after that, she seems to be taking it in and processing what I've said fully, she really is a fun person to talk to at times like these, she's a good listener, "Are you referring to how the world views the Witch-cult, Subaru-sama? It feels like your saying that they're only bad because we make them out to be bad…"

"Nope, not at all, Witch cult, whether it's now or in a hundred years, they're gonna be bad guys no matter which angle we look at… what I'm more concerned about is… Emilia-san you see…"

"Rem understands… Emilia-sama is rather looked down upon by not only the kingdom but by the Witch-cult themselves… not only is she seen as a direct image of the witch of envy, but a foul imitation of her as well, she truly is suicidal in thinking she can make it in the Royal selection..." That is true, the moment her existence is made public, then the whole country would grow wary, assassins will be on the all-time high, cultists would be lurking here and there, it really is problematic for her, isn't it?

"Even if it is close to impossible, you'd still choose to support her right?"

"Of course, Emilia-sama, although she may be naive, weak-hearted, and at times immature, she has the will to go on knowing all her flaws, it is rather admirable, Rem just can't see her supporting anyone else… it is also partly because Roswaal-sama has seen potential in her, as a maid, Rem must follow along with the will of her master…"

"A loyal maid you are aren't you? Well, I can't say I have the same amount of admiration you have towards Emilia-san, but for some reason… she just reminds me of a person who's suffered rather terribly in his past. Call me a kid for clinging onto old memories but a part of me just doesn't want her to lead the same path that person could have lead…"

Of course, this person is none other than me, a lost child dreaming of avenging his parents, being laughed at by other people saying that such a thing is impossible, quite similar to Emilia's own situation right now, I'll work hard so that both our dreams can come into fruition. Rem nods, as if in agreement with what I say, well saying that while having something in your mouth kinda makes it less serious.

"Huhu, lookie here boys…"

My ears twitched a little, I hear a coarse voice, and it didn't sound very pleasing to the ear, "May I help you?" I turn my back, two men approached me, rather bulk, also wearing the typical clothing of mercenaries, this may or may not end very well. The slightly larger one came over to me and put in front of me a sack, I can hear, many, many coins inside that thing, then again, it could all just be coppers which is useless.

"Hey, listen here boy…" he pats me by the shoulder, acting as if we are best friends, aren't we? Also, I'm actually a young adult, thank you very much… "That little girl over there… let us borrow her for a night yeah?" Upon hearing their request, I look over to Rem, she narrowed her eyes, displeased about this. Also, Rem is actually a young adult too, please stop calling us 'boy' and 'little girl'

"Subaru-sama, Rem hopes you understand tha-"  
"Now, now Rem… just let me handle this situation…"

Stopping her sentence with my finger, I turn an eye to the men, my smile, full of mischief, "Listen here lads… I don't want your money, nor do I want any of your belongings, praise, and whatnot, but tonight's been a boring night, and fellow men's gotta help each other I guess. So how about I propose a deal?" Our eyes lock on, it seems we were in agreement, this is going to be hilarious. Meanwhile, I can sense an ever-increasing menace just behind me, I wonder what that could be…

"You guys can have Rem under one condition… You beat her in an arm wrestling match"

Silence was present as everyone turned their heads towards our table, the men looked at me dumbstruck, and I can feel an invisible force behind me that is just waiting to choke me the moment I turn around, seriously, what could such a scary thing be… "Buhaahaa! Alright, then let's get it on!" The men laughed, it seems they were confident in their chances, how amusing.

"Oh, and one thing, in the slim chance that Rem happens to win, you'll pay for our meals and anything else that we owe this store, got it?"  
"Haha, slim chance?! You gotta be kidding me, she's got no chance on me, oh, but I guess I can go easy on her, heh! You've got yourself a deal!"

The two of us lock hands, the deal has been made, and a contract too! Our hands glowed, "Subaru-sama…" I can feel someone grab onto my shoulder, it hurts, a lot! Just from a mere touch, how strong is this maid? Was she holding back when we fought in the forest that day?! "Okay then Rem, the contract's been formed so nothing we can do about that right?! Let's begin!" I grab Rem's hand and twirl her in front of me, letting her sit beside the wooden table.

"W-Wait, a minute Subaru!"  
"Now, let's have a fair match yes?"

Without any concern for Rem, the bulky man sat down in the opposite seat, and got his hand on the table, ready to destroy Rem, it seems. Rem, though wanting to punch me on the gut any number of times right now, readies her hand as well as she sighs. She glares at him while he shoots her a mocking smile, this is going to give me one hell of a laugh.

"Okay! In three… two… one… go!"

The moment it started, I could feel a wave of pressure blast through their clasped hands, and it was all caused by Rem. As if in slow motion, I could see the mans hand shrink under Rem's intense force, ripples were formed in the skin from the sheer pressure she exerted. Her arm then started to tilt and the man's hand moved with it. It was incredible, the speed that is. Almost like lightning, the whole man's body was flipped over and slammed into the ground, a loud crash could be heard, smoke then started to rise, Rem was victorious...

"..."  
"Pff…"

Everyone's stunned eyes turned to me as I could hardly contain my laughter, "Hahaha! That was too good!" Watching someone getting destroyed by someone they just mocked, it really is a funny thing isn't it, it may be mean, but hey, no helping it, we're all imperfect beings after all. "Hah, as expected of the demonic Rem, I knew you'd beat him but still, you packed an extra punch in that swing, didn't you? I mean the dude went flipping through the air and everything"

Rem sighs as she unrolls the sleeve of her maid outfit, ignoring the fearful gazes of everyone around her, "Rem couldn't risk the chance of being defiled by those men, for putting Rem in such a situation, divine retribution shall fall upon you Subaru-sama…" A death glare sent straight at me, I'm dripping cold sweat right now, maybe I took it too far with this one?

"Now, now, it all ended well right? Anyway, we'll be taking our leave right now, hey bud, deals a deal so pay up properly okay?"  
"Ah… ag…"

"I think that's a yes…" We leave the man, whose hand was partly stuck on the ground, I can feel wary gazes all around us, we've attracted quite a lot of attention accidentally didn't we...

* * *

Me and Rem return back to the inn after the eventful night, hopefully, no one gets too wary of us, it would be really troublesome if such a thing did happen, "Oh, I think he's finally arrived…" As we make our way to the front of the inn, I can see a dragon carriage just outside, and I saw that Tau guy as well, it seems Menkalin has finally arrived, better go greet him then, it's only natural.

The two of us walk over to the carriage, we can make out a subtle aura coming out of it, stealthy, graceful, and deadly, it was him, "Ah… you must be the Natsuki Subaru I've heard of…" I can see a man walk out of the carriage, his hair a dark gray, donning a robe with patterns commonly seen in Gusteko, intelligent eyes that can see through everything, this was most definitely the guy.

"Well, well, didn't think I'd be going against a prince charming now…"

Crap, this guys got some good looks, not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous, "Ah, you flatter me" He walks towards the two of us and bows, "Menkalin, just Menkalin, pleased to meet you, Natsuki Subaru…" He smiled towards me, a facade, I can tell as much from experience, can Rem tell too?

"Yo, I'm Natsuki Subaru, some random wanderer, I'll be your opponent for the role of 'The representative of the Emilia camp', may the best man win"

A little competition won't hurt, if anything, it gets me riled up for what happens after, though, there won't be any competition, to begin with, "Thanks, I do plan on winning rather quickly… but it will have to wait until tomorrow morning sadly" He forcefully shook my hand, this guy's quite arrogant, think he's all high and mighty, well, I'm not too different, I'll keep humble for now, I mustn't respond to his provocations, not one bit.

"We'll just have to see now shall we?"

He entered the inn, and we followed him inside, apparently he was well known in this area, the guards knew him, the innkeeper knew him, if I wasn't suspicious of him, I'd mistake him for an actually good guy, though, I'm not making that mistake. "I guess I'll take the night off here, I'm off Rem" I waved off to Rem as I entered my room, she bowed and replied with a "Good night" as I left the lounge.

Tomorrow's the day the cultist will probably move, Rem would suspect that, I hope anyway, it's good having someone you can count on once in a while. All that said, I seem to have a little problem right now, "Uhh… am I just seeing things or are you… no, I'm definitely not seeing things! Why are you in my room?!" As it stands, there is a little girl sleeping in my bed, well not sleeping, resting would be a better word.

"You expect Betty to book you a room? Your acting rather arrogant, I suppose. In fact, this is Betty's room, so I should be asking, why are you in my room! Isn't this an invasion of privacy!" Invasion of privacy? More like information failure, Rem didn't tell me about this! Actually, wait, Rem was out with me at night so she couldn't have known about this, this must be Ram's doing! That flat-chested demon! "That Nee-san… I'll get her for this…"

"Spare Betty from your endless blabbering, I suppose, I would very much like to sleep now, so you can take the floor as your bed tonight"  
"The floor?! Uh, well I'm actually quite used to sleeping on the ground, I've done it on many occasions actually…"

Absolutely not wanting Ram to win on this little peg to find things to mock me with, I sit on the ground, feeling the wooden floor, it was cold, this is not going to be comfy whatsoever, "No resistance at all, I suppose!? Fine, if you really want to sleep on the ground that badly, Betty will gracefully lend her pillow to you, I suppose" Dropping a pillow beside the bed, that wasn't graceful at all. She gave a rather triumphant look, what's to be so proud about?

"Actually, it's a little better to sleep without a pillow so you can have it"  
"What?! How can one sleep without the comfiness of a pillow, I suppose?! Let alone sleep on the floor!"  
"Not sure if you heard me say it a few seconds ago, but I'm used to sleeping on the ground, it's like a massage at night, as a wise woman once said"

Looking at me rather skeptical as handed the pillow over to her, "Humph, you have a weird way of doing things, I suppose…" Snatching the pillow away from my hands she tucks herself back into the bed sheets and closes her eyes, "I think it's less of me doing weird things and more of you being too afraid to try new things, don't you think?"

"What was that, I suppose! Are you challenging Betty, I wonder!?"  
"Heh, yeah sure, I'm challenging you, think you're up to it?"  
"Oh, I'll show you!"

* * *

And the next morning came…

"To think that you'd actually make it past the night… that's rather impressive for your first time Beatrice, well as expected of an ex-great spirit, sleeping on the ground should be nothing for you right?" I say while folding the bed sheets that she slept with. We both did sleep on the floor, though it was on opposite sides of the bed, so Beatrice kept the sheets to herself, it was rather cold that night, good thing the cloak I bought warmed me up a bit.

"Such a miserable experience… Betty is never doing that again… and what were you saying about this massage, I suppose, Betty felt like she was being tortured the whole night, you know?!"

"I did say it would feel like a massage at night… but I never said it was going to be comfortable now did I? The kind of massage I was referring to is more like the one where you get muscle cramps and so it's for refreshing your muscles see, ah, but then again you're a spirit, so you don't really have those don't you? Well, guess that was a waste of time…"

With her face trembling at the hard truth, I turn to leave the room, "Make sure you come out soon, I feel like something big is gonna happen later today, we might need your assistance" She didn't reply but I'll take it as a 'whatever' and I close the door, to my right I see someone leaving their room, to my left I see… nothing in particular.

"Should go and get breakfast before doing anything, can't run on an empty stomach now…"

I make my way down the stairs and into the lounge where I expect everyone else should be, though no one was there, well, no one but Ram anyway, "I see you are up Barusu, did you enjoy the night?" Again with that face of indifference, it's like she's secretly laughing at me inside "Nope, not at all and it's all thanks to you. I had to sleep on the floor you know?"

"Really? Ram was sure you'd share the bed with Beatrice-sama, maybe you aren't as vulgar as I thought you were, Barusu…"  
"Just what kind of image did you have of me… uh, but more importantly, where's Emilia and the other two? Oh and that guy as well"

Pointing her finger to the inn's door, she answered me, "Emilia-sama and Rem have gone to explore the town together, I am not sure where our guest has gone, but he was last seen with his attendant, he and his attendant were gone the moment Ram got down the stairs, Roswaal-sama is out doing business, and Ram was tasked with dumping all this information on you, now that it is done, I shall be leaving…" with that, she turns around and leaves me, was that her way of saying good morning?

"Okay then?" I say while waving to her, what am I supposed to now, I wonder? I look around, there was no one I know around, I could try to go to that restaurant again, they were pretty cheap and the food was pretty good too, maybe I should bring- oh she's already here, "Urgh… I can barely feel my back, I suppose…" I can see her approaching me, it seems she's really didn't enjoy her sleep at night, well, this is the thing about pride, it can make you do things you'd regret later on, too bad for her.

"Hey Beatrice, I'm gonna head over for breakfast, wanna come with?"

"Urghh…" She begrudgingly nodded as she dragged her feet towards the entrance of the inn, I follow behind her, "Where exactly are we headed to I suppose?" She asks as she stops, realizing she was the one leading the way. I walk past her and on forward to the direction I came back from last night.

"Rem and I went to a restaurant last night and it had some decent food, I'm gonna go there again"  
"What? You expect Betty to eat something made by the likes of an unknown restaurant, I suppose? Where's the younger maid!"

"It can't be helped, she's out there with Emilia-san touring the town or something, and it's not like I'm the richest man in the world you know? Besides, it won't hurt to try new things right?" It doesn't seem like she's willing to listen, "Betty has already used up all her trials for this year, so trying other new things is currently, impossible, I suppose" Well, it's not like there's another choice, it's either you eat or you starve, ah, then again, she is a spirit so it's okay if she doesn't eat, I guess.

.

"Well, this is the place"  
"It's plain, I suppose…"  
"Isn't that the same with everything here though?"

Indeed, the structures of the houses all around us were rather repetitive, it can't be helped since this is a village-town kind of thing. I open the door of the restaurant and walk in, no one else besides the two of us seems to be here, except for the person on the counter and a few waiters. It also seems like they've fixed up the table Rem destroyed last night, and the hole in the floor too, these guys are always in tip-top condition aren't they?

I take the seat I took last night, Beatrice sat opposite to me and I called over a waiter to the table, though they all shivered when they heard my voice. The waiter from last night came to me again and we ordered our food, I ordered something different from last night, hope it impresses me, though, nothing can top Rem's cooking.

We wait for a little bit until we got served, after that, it was happy eatings. "So, how do you like the food Beatrice? Pretty decent for a village don't you think?" I say while stuffing some sweetened bread in my mouth, it was surprisingly soft and fluffy, just the way I like my bread, "Indeed it is surprisingly decent, but it doesn't please Betty like the younger maid's cooking would, I suppose…"

"Isn't it like that when you compare anything to how Rem would do it? I feel bad for the store this way…"  
"Then the world will just have to catch up to the younger maid to please Betty's taste buds"

"Heh, the world doesn't revolve around you, you know…" Finishing the last of the bread, I gulp it all down with some water, a nice and hearty breakfast that was. Though it isn't as good as Rem's usual, it is more than enough to fill me up.

"So what exactly were you up to last night, I suppose?" She asked meticulously while pushing her empty plate to the edge of the table, "Snuck around a bit with Rem, nothing much"

"I see"

Basking in the calmness of the atmosphere, I succumb to the everlasting silence, but it was short-lived, "There you are you bastard!" With a loud bang, the door opened up and a few men came in, hey, isn't that the guy from last time? The one that Rem destroyed with ease in an arm wrestling match?

"Yo there, Mr. Bulky, how did yesterday's defeat taste?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself now boy, don't think you've won just because I went easy on your little maid…" I repeat, I'm a young adult, so would you please not refer to me as simply a boy? Even bastard would better, "Wait, since when was the younger maid 'yours', I suppose?" Beatrice asked skeptically.

"Since never, blame Mr. Bulky for assuming that she was mine in the first place. Actually, wait, you should also blame his gullibility, he got tricked way too easily in the end!"

"You sure talk big for your size don't you brat, well the little maid isn't here to protect you now" He got close while saying that, a little too close, also, I thought I made it clear that I was her superior last time? When was she ever protecting me?

"S-Sir, may I advise that you don't cause too much of a ruckus in the store…"

"Oh shut your mouth you damn cuck, I already gave you my money last night so get lost!" Woah, this guy's got a temper, I feel bad for the waiter for having to deal with him, "Sorry about that, we'll leave immediately, I apologize for the trouble I've caused last night" I hand over the waiter a few silvers as payment and left through the door with Beatrice, ignoring the group of me who came to see me.

"Where do you think you're running off to bastard?!" Ah yes, please continue calling me bastard, it makes me sound badass.

The door flung open once more and Mr. Bulky walked up to me while my back was turned away, it feels like he was going to shove me so I quickly turned to the side. Seriously, why is it always these weak big-shots that are so arrogant, the least you can do is be polite like that Menkalin guy, "If you really want to vent out that anger of yours, then feel free to come at me, I'll be generous though and give you one whole minute"

I said that rather mockingly, though I didn't mean for it to be as provocative as it turned out, it did. "Shut up!" Without warning, he took out a battleaxe and slammed the blunt face straight at my sides, I tumbled to the ground.

"I'll make you beg for your life!"

Doing the whole action and then walking over to me, it took him twenty seconds, he really is taking his time, isn't he? "What's the matter, can't even block a simple attack like that? Just like I thought, you're all talk after all!" After picking me up, he punches me in the gut, then kicks me to the ground, several times.

"Come on, already had enough that your body just gave up? It's no fun if you don't struggle, come on beg for mercy!" He puts his feet on my head and starts grinding it down, I finally start feeling the pain. He then flips me over to see my face bruised and bloodied, I try to mumble something, but all that came out was, "fggh... scccnds ft…"

"Huh?! What was that! I'm sorry but you're going to have to beg louder, I can't hear you!"

I spat out the dirt in my mouth and then tried once more, "I said… five seconds left, heh" Saying that to taunt him even further, I chuckle. He got enraged, picking up his battleaxe over his head and striking it down on me, "Die!"

"One minute over..."

Using all the power into that swing he, slammed the axe down to the ground, the power was great enough that a gush of wind rippled through the air, a cloud of dust was also launched into the air. Breathing raggedly, the dust cloud dissipated and he looked down on me, only, I wasn't there.

"W-What?!"

"If Rem and I were to fight seriously, I'd probably be able to kill her five times before she could land a decisive blow, what makes you think that you, who couldn't even beat her in a playful match, have a standing a chance against me…"

I whispered these string of words into his ear and before he could react, I plunged the kukri knife into his back and kicked him down. "Guah!"

"I have a pretty high pain tolerance, so your attacks didn't really have much effect on me until you started squashing my head, that hurt quite a bit…" He looked at me in terror, all my injuries from just seconds ago, vanished as if nothing had ever happened, he was literally trembling as blood seeped out of the wound.

"Hey Beatrice mind checking this sorry guy out, he's kinda hurt"

"Hmph, you are a cruel man for toying with your victims like this, I suppose, and for Betty to have to clean up your mess at that? If Betty wasn't this kind, you'd be a criminal in the near future… That's what I'd like to say, but you've hurt Betty's contractor, in fact, so don't expect anything from me"

"Heh, sucks to be you doesn't it? I made sure not to hit any of your vital spots but if you don't cover that up within a few hours, you'd most likely die of blood loss, ciao now"

The two of us leave the scene with little regard to the man who could actually be hanging on the last string of his life, well, he did have the intent to kill me so it's his problem. As we were walking away, the men that were previously with him helped him up to his feet, it doesn't seem any of the can heal his wounds with magic.

* * *

The day passes on rather quickly and I never did get to see anyone else, which was rather strange since today's the day we discuss about whether or not that Menkalin guy gets to stay, I should get some say in it right? We head back to the inn to ask the only person who could now this.

"This was set up wasn't?" I asked Ram who was happily munching on some sweets while sitting by her bedside, she looks as dignified as ever with that smug look on her face, "Whatever could you mean, Barusu?"

"You know what I mean, you purposefully lied to me in order to keep me away from the meeting which is probably being held somewhere else. Now I want to know why?"

"Heh, Barusu isn't as stupid as he's bad at house chores it seems. Fine if you insist... Ram will tell you all about her master plan" The way she said that really just wanted me to jab at her eyes, but I held the urge in, "In simple terms, there is no need for Barusu to attend the meeting, no matter what, the outcome would be the same, you'd stay, he'd go. That being said, do you think he would silently go away if he were to lose his position?"

"Course not, he was pretty confident about it, and he has his pride to protect…"

"Exactly, Ram has given you more than enough time to prepare, so go make use of it, a chance to work with me isn't going to come every so often you know?" I think you're making exaggerating how your plan is good, you're making this whole deal bigger than it's supposed to be, but, "Nee-san is surprisingly reliable when it comes to these kinds of things isn't she"

"It's rather unsettling, I suppose…" Beatrice added her own comment after snatching a cupcake from the tray Ram had brought. Well it's as she said, it's the perfect opportunity to unmask this guy's true intention, it's a chance we shouldn't waste, "Okay then, Beatrice, come with me for a bit and Ram, make sure you stay up at night, tell that to Rem too"

"I don't need you telling me the obvious, Barusu"

Ushering the two of us out of the room, we were kicked out into the hallway, left to ourselves, "So what's the plan, I suppose?" Beatrice inquired, revealing a whole batch of cakes she snuck out of Ram's room, she'd really do anything for sweets won't she? "Let's keep it simple, the main priority is to keep Emilia-san out if harm's way, I think you're more than capable of doing that on your own, right?"

"Hmph, you got that right, I suppose, and if they manage to distract Betty, then Bubby will easily just freeze them"

"Then, I can leave Rem with all the small fry and Ram can serve as lookout, I'll rustle with the real deal myself, since he knows I'm a threat, he's probably got something planned for me anyway so I'll take him by surprise. If anything goes wrong, I'm sure Roswaal would swoop in and finish the job" Having someone who's equal to a whole army is pretty relieving, but we mustn't rely on Roswaal, he's most likely have something to deal with Roswaal as well.

I'll make sure Ram and Rem get the details before it all happens, hopefully, until then, "Do you have any spells I can borrow, Beatrice?"Beatrice stopped on her munching and glanced at me with a big smile, "Huhu, since you asked Betty nicely, I wouldn't mind sparing you some lost knowledge from centuries ago, I suppose…"

Yes, thank you Beatrice, I appreciate the help, but maybe tone down that smugness of yours, I don't think I've seen a girl this young act this smug, your ruining the image of cute young girls all around the world you know?

.

The sun set in an orange hue and the moon rose, the day turned into night and everyone had retired to their rooms, not even the nightlife is awake, all that remained was I, "Sneaking up to us at night, is an ungentlemanly thing to do don't you think?" I walk down the hallway, towards the man standing in front of Emilia's room, he wasn't wearing his usual dashing clothes, they seem more ragged, more savage, befitting of his role.

"Huh? And here I thought you ran and hid away from me, well, it wouldn't be fun that way now wouldn't it?"

The man had in his hand a single dagger, but this wasn't any ordinary dagger, it gleamed in the darkness and not the kind of gleam you'd get from polished metal, no, this dagger was coated with a toxic substance, a typical assassin's choice of weapon.

"Sorry but… but before you go through that door, you'll have to go through me…"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Yo, made it in time didn't I? So, what have I been doing? I'm preparing for a debate that's happening in the end of October, I need to get my recommendation letter in order to get to those big-shot universities you know? Also, the OST's from the Re:zero OVA are released and Relive is my new favourite, it's really catchy!**

 **One more chapter should do it and then we're off to arc 4, the white whale, sloth, and others!**

 **AMR-MNR**

 **I read the chapter earlier yesterday (Sleep patterns screwed atm) and saw that... You wrote, say, four thousand words in a day? While I do say a good job for that, do make sure you can handle it.**

 **Remember I wrote 12K words in a mere day once, that overexertion on your brain really, really bites.**

It's actually… four thousand words, in a matter of hours… I took a big nap after that and awoke at midnight, so yeah, my sleepings pretty screwed too. It's just, the urge to write just hits me randomly, I had ten days where I couldn't write anything, then suddenly, bam, I finished up the chapter in a few hours, I just don't know how this works anymore man…

 **Throlfe**

 **I don't know about anyone else but I think it's hilarious how the author points out all of the ways Subaru is overpowered.**

A good author should know everything about their characters you see, whether it'd be all their weak points or all their strong points.

 **QuantumPE**

 **As a huge Beako shipper it makes me want to cry seeing her so depressed. you'll make her happier right? Tell me she becomes happier! Also, does puck still think that Subaru actually when through with it?**

Another admirer of Betty? Welcome, welcome, wholesomeness may not be achievable all the time, but it will be present where it is needed, this is a [Tragedy] after all, you can't expect it all to go uphill right?

 **70oda**

 **Wow, the way you wrote that part with Beatrice was amazing**

Hehe, compliments like these make my day, or would it be night since it's dark out… ah, it's the same anyway! Please do stay to look around, we'll be serving juice for the banquet next time! _Hehe did anyone get that?_


	18. Arc 3: Chapter 3

**Uploading date: 10/27/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 3: Sweet and Harsh Reality**_

 **Chapter 3: Realising reality**

* * *

"Long ago there lived a princess with a horrid face, it was so ugly that just by looking at it, one could experience suffering beyond imagination. This princess was locked in a castle, never to have her be seen by anyone that isn't inside, in fear of what the public would think of her. Her parents later died of an unknown cause and she, as their heir was to come out of hiding and take the mantle of her parents… The day she was to do a speech, she was killed by a single man, rather, she allowed this man to kill her, it was either let this one man kill her, or let the whole country despise her for her looks, that was an old tale from Gusteko, quite fitting for the current happenings wouldn't you agree?"

My opponent, who stood right in front of me, told me this full story. It was rather interesting, Gusteken tales aren't half bad, still like the novels from Kararagian authors better though, they're more modern and funny, "It really is similar, too bad this princess isn't dying anytime soon…" I start walking towards Menkalin, but he stays his ground, he seems pretty confident that about his strength against mine.

"Of course, there is bound to be resistance, but I've prepared for every possible obstacle, this includes the Margrave, the two servants, the half-elf's spirit, and especially you… I've expected you to come and stop me, so I'll neutralize you right now"

He spread his arms out, is he taunting me? Or is this some kind of lure, to catch me off guard? He does have a poisoned weapon, so I'll have to be careful about that. I continue walking forward, slowly and cautiously, he just stood there open, but the moment I took out my knives, "Those knives?!" A sudden blast of air shot out from his direction. I turn my head quickly to the side and dodged the blast of air by a strand of hair, he then quickly retreats backward in a defensive stance.

"So… you were the one capable of dealing with Elsa and Meili? Hoho, I truly have underestimated you, my apologies for that"

I can feel a slight trickle of blood from my cheek, just a trickle, I could barely feel it, "Well, I was hoping you'd think of me as some small fry for a little longer, but then that'd be too easy, so tell me, your not another vampire are you? Elsa was really annoying…" I spin around both the knives in my hand and point it towards him, a wind magic user is rather troublesome.

"You have become a bigger threat than I anticipated, so I'll just finish you here and now…"

He suddenly burst forward with immense speed, he used wind magic to blast himself to me it seems, his hands seemed to be stretching out, as if he was trying to swipe at me, he's going to slice at me with wind? I bring up my knives to block the attack, expecting some sort of sharp sting, but what I got was, "Ul-Goa!"

A fiery explosion erupted right in front of me, and a rather big one to add. Smoke engulfed the whole hallway as I was blasted straight through the wooden walls, falling down a two storey drop into the solid ground hurt my back quite a bit, "I'm not holding back against you, even if the whole town wakes up, I'll be sure to take you down" He walks out of the smoke-filled hallway and peers down at me.

"Really now… well, guess I won't hold back either…"

I drag myself back to my feet, cracking my bones, "You better get ready..." My burnt face, my dislocated shoulder, all my wounds suddenly vanished, clean and without a trace, though my clothes were still burnt and torn a bit, "It's as Elsa said… you are not someone to take lightly…" He launches off the inn, again with that incredible speed and appeared in front of me with his hands out. Being able to use two offensive magic types is deadly advantageous.

"Too slow!"

Before he let out another burst of flames, I grabbed his hands and shoved it to the side, nevertheless, his spell detonated and we were both blasted to the side, he can use chantless magic, he really is a formidable opponent, "El-Lahm!" While we were still airborne, I grab his collar and with the help of my spell, I slam him straight to the ground, while I kept on flying onwards.

"Fula"

Out of the dust, several blades of wind shot out, no time to dodge, "Kardese!" I erect a barrier between the attack and my hands, but they easily broke through, cutting me in the sides. I land on the ground with a roll.

"Hey, that fire magic you used, I've never seen anything like that?"

Dusting himself off, Menkalin stood up and glanced towards me, "Explosions, it's a specialized area of fire magic that I've mastered, unlike Elsa, I like to change up my fighting style from time to time but using explosions is by far my favorite way of fighting…" It's kind of ironic seeing that he's an assassin, those guys are usually quiet and sneaky, setting up explosions everywhere isn't exactly silent.

"Well then, I like sticking to my usual"

I throw out one of my knives at him but he maneuvered around it and sped his way to me again, "El-Shamak!" Clouds erupted around me and spread out to cover him, but he makes a fist and punches straight through, "El-Fula!" A strong gust of wind and he blows away all the clouds, a perfect counter.

"It's useless, El-Goa!"

His hands faced me and another explosion detonated, this time, it shot forward straight at me, I can't dodge it, it's still too fast, "Ul-Lahm!" I shockwave of pressure exerted from the palm of my hand, diffused the explosion around me and it seemed like the shockwave lifted Menkalin off his feet a little bit. "Minya!"

A purple stake formed in my hands and I shot it straight for his chest, it hurdled through the debris and nearly made its mark, "I'm not that gullible" He kicked up a blade of wind and sliced the stake in half, flipping back to the ground. "Oh but you are, El-Lahm" Slamming my hands to the ground, gravity around Menkalin suddenly intensified and his feet starting sinking into the dirt, he lost his balance.

Not wasting any time I went to finish the job but the moment I came into proximity, "Ul-Goa!" With his hands stuck to the ground, he detonated another explosion, causing me to blast off into the air, "Graah!" Before I could open my eyes, he launched himself back up, this time wielding something in his hand.

"Nope!"

Quickly swinging my knife out, our blades clashed, "Tch" He nearly pierced me with the poisoned dagger, that was close, "El-Goa!" While our blades were locked, he used his free hand to blast me down and to the ground, he broke a few of my bones there. "You end here!" He dived down with his dagger, about to plunge it straight at my chest, "Don't look down on me!"

The next moment, I disappeared and he struck the bare ground with his dagger, the next thing he knew, something fell on him, it was me, "Gwah" I fell right on his back, sharing the pain with him "Murak!" I flipped myself back into the air and got both my arms outstretched, "El-Minya!" Formulating around me were several stakes and they all shot for him at incredible speeds.

"Useless, Ul-Fula!" I barrier made of a storm of raging winds, a deadly force field that shattered all the stakes with ease. He then leaped off the ground once more and aimed a kick for my sides, "Die" His kick suddenly burst forward in an incredible speed, I couldn't block that.

"Urgh"

He managed to kick me down to the ground with that single kick and he wasn't done yet. "Goa" Another explosion headed straight for me, I'm even slower know and dodging explosions of this scale is difficult, to begin with, "Kardese!" I defend myself with a full body barrier and I let the dust surround me.

"El-Fula!"

He kicked the dust away with his magic infused feet, he blew away all the dust and a few nearby plants as well, but I expected him to blow it all away, "Minya!" With my hands right before his chest, another stake forms in my hands and I plunge it to his chest.

* * *

Meanwhile, while the ongoing battle raged on outside, two people were running away, "Beatrice, what's happening!?" Emilia cried out rather worried with what's going on, Beatrice sighed at her naivety, she truly is dense about herself, isn't she? "Just be quiet and follow Betty like a good girl, Subaru is dealing with some business so don't go and interrupt him" And with just that, her face twisted from simple worry to distress.

"S-Subaru? What's he doing now?"  
"You're really making me lose my temper, you know?!"

Making it through the smokey hallway, the two dashed down the stairs and headed towards the door, away from the battle outside, "B-Beatrice? Subaru is that way! Where are we going?!" Emilia said while trying to rip her hands off of Beatrice's grip, "There's a limit to how dumb you can be I suppose! You're the victim here, so just be quiet and follow Betty!"

They kept on running the opposite direction indefinitely, they could still hear the explosions happening in the other side of town, the whole town could hear it, "Stop…" Holding the brakes on their run, Beatrice brings her arm out to block Emilia from going any further, she can see people approaching them.

"Little girl… I advise you to walk away right now, we have no business with you…" Three cloaked figures, and a familiar face, it was Tau, Menkalin's supposed attendant of some sort, "How amusing of you to say that, I suppose… Emilia, I'll be handing you off to the younger maid now, please follow her instructions…" Beatrice faced her palm at Emilia's direction and with a quick tug upwards, she was suddenly launched to the sky.

"E-Eh!?"

While Emilia was stunned by the current happenings, a shadow leaped from the rooftops and grabbed her, running away from the scene in a flash. "Follow her and don't lose sight…" The three figures moved towards the direction Emilia was taken away, but the moment they left the ground, "Ignoring Betty is a big mistake, you know?" She snapped her fingers and as if it was a flash of lighting, their heads were pierced with a single purple stake each. Their bodies fell down limp and dead.

This brought Tau's attention, he took a step back and was on his toes, "Hmm, you're a rather strong mage... Tell me, little girl, why hasn't my gospel told me about a threat as big as you…?"

"How should I know? Maybe your gospel's defective? Or maybe it wasn't able to catch the reason I was here in the first place, I suppose"

Tau narrowed his eyes at Beatrice, labeling her as a threat. Beatrice just sighed it away, however, "Little girl, you shouldn't get ahead of yourself…" And he disappeared the next moment, nowhere to be seen, "..." Beatrice looked around for the man, but he was not anywhere in sight, her face was of indifference.

"Now you die"

He suddenly reappeared right beside Beatrice, but something was different, there were four of him now, each in a different position, she's cornered. "You think a simple illusion can win against Betty, I suppose… you're going against a master of Yin, you know?" Without even moving, Beatrice blasted all four of them away, three disappeared on impact and one tumbled down from the insane force.

"Ugh... It seems I've under-"  
"To think you have time to talk…"

Before he says another word, his whole body collapsed to the ground from an immense force, it slowly dug its way down the earth, "It seems you have failed to grasp just how strong Betty truly is, what punishment shall befall on you for that, I wonder…" Stepping on the man, Beatrice puts her hand on her chin in a thinking pose.

"Normally, I'd take all your mana but due to our contract, it is impossible now, I suppose… well, nothing states that I couldn't take your od..."

Placing her hand on his back, a red light lit up and Tau suddenly started screaming out in pain, "Hmm, Betty is not the sadistic type so could you please tone down your screaming, I suppose" Using her magic, Beatrice forced the man's head down the dirt, she's looking very sadistic right now, unlike what she says, "I only need enough noise for your friends to come crawling…" She whispers.

The red light on her hand starts to dim but she's still ripping out Tau's life force out. She looks around and she can feel the presence of several people all heading for her, "You all gather like hungry dogs, I suppose" Six shadows jumped up from the roof and took aim at Beatrice, still on top of Tau.

"El-Goa!"

Each of them shot a bullet of fire towards Beatrice who had a deadpan look on her face, "Ul-Kardese…" A simple wave of her hand and an invisible force surrounded her, as the bullets took their hit, they were suddenly shot straight back. The figures tried to move out of their trajectories but they were homing in for them.

"Ul-Kardese… a spell that reflects any and all magic back to their source, you can't dodge your own magic, in fact"

Each of the six figures were set ablaze by their own attacks and fell to the ground on fire.

* * *

"Rem! Please tell me what's going on" Emilia asks as Rem kicks off another cultist to the ground, "To put it simply, you are being targeted by that man and his friends, Emilia-sama… please stay behind Rem" Another one jumped up but Rem slammed his head with her morning star, he fell down dead as well.

"W-What? Is he angry that we turned him down? I did say we can somehow work something out so why…"  
"Emilia-sama, Rem thinks you're missing the point… he never intended to work with us, it was all part of a more devious plan"

"Never intended to work with us? What do you mea-" The two felt an incoming attack, but neither could see where it was coming from, the next moment, the two were shoved away and a sharp gust of wind blew right past them, just barely missing. They tumbled across the roof, nearly falling were it not for Rem.

"Ugh, sorry about that guys…"

Helping the two back up the roof was me, covered in blood, burn marks, and cuts, Emilia was agitated when she caught sight of me, though Rem didn't really react much, "Subaru-sama, has he been taken care of?" She asks while pulling on the chains of her morning star.

"I'd like to say he has… but as you can see…"

We hear someone land on the rooftop we were in, we face the figure, holes and deep cuts on his skin, "Menkalin?" Emilia called out, he twitched his head to her direction and blinked a few times, "You really are a pitiful and gullible person, if I wasn't tasked with taking your head, I would have felt sorry for you, but I guess this isn't the case…"

A surge of mana surrounded his hand, he was going to cast another explosion it seems, "If it weren't for him, I'd have killed you already… you really are a lucky woman, but it is only a matter of time until you meet your impending doom" He ran forward and with a throwing motion, he directed another explosion towards us. I take the brunt of the blow while Rem takes Emilia away.

"Just how far are you willing to hurt yourself for her…"  
"Hmm? Clearly, you are the one hurting me? I tend to not inflict self-harm on myself, you see"

I come out of the cloud of dust unscathed, my cuts, burn marks, and any other injury gone, he gave me a rather annoyed look, "Tch, you are a pesky one… it almost feels like fighting Mother…" It seems like he's more or less grasped the basis of my ability, he'll start to attack closer and stronger, he's gonna aim for more vital points, he was only analyzing me from a distance up until now, the real fight is just about to start.

"Without further ado, I think we're about to reach the climax of this battle"

Indeed, I think so too, but he's too focused on me, "How serious, I suppose" Hearing a sudden voice behind him, he quickly reacts by swinging his hand backward, setting off another explosion, but it was blasted right back at him, lifting him off his feet, "Behold the power of Yin!" I leap up into the air and try to get a good kick on him, but he anticipated something like that and countered it with a blast of wind my way.

We flew back in opposite directions. He plummeted straight for the ground while I floated down the roof, "Let's finish this already, I suppose, Betty is tired" You're being a little inconsiderate of our opponent's feelings, aren't you? "Well, yeah, I've been dragging this out for way too long, let's get him for good now…"

I jumped down from the roof while Beatrice peered from the top, getting her attack ready. I try to find Menkalin and saw him fleeing away to the center of the town, is he trying to shield himself with civilians, "This is bad, Beatrice, we have to stop him before he finds a hostage" She nods and suddenly disappears, well that's a Yin master for you, she can teleport.

"Wait, you could have brought me with you!" I run off in the direction of the town square.

* * *

While the ongoing battle continued, a clown stood and watched it from afar with a maid by his side, "Roswaal-sama is this really alright? Shouldn't you intervene in case anything happened?" The maid asked her master, he just stared on with a grin on his face.

"There~ is nothing to worry about my dear Ram… this is to steel Emilia-sama for~ the coming future, she has to know the consequences if she's to run for king of the country, and if something bad happens, I trust~ Subaru-kun will be able to handle it, we have the gospels assurance after all..."

"Is it really alright to leave it to that Barusu?"

"Subaru-kun~ may not look like it, but even if an army stood in front of him, he would most likely be able to handle… you~ may call it jumping to conclusions but I just have this feeling that he's a menacing opponent to face..." With the clown's appraisal, the maid stopped and nodded, not wanting to defy what her master had just said.

"If you say so, Roswaal-sama…"

* * *

"Any further and I'll cut this woman's head off you know?"

We stood facing Menkalin who has found his hostage, a young woman who just happened to be passing by, "Man, things just get more and more complicated doesn't it…" "Indeed, being desperate usually puts people in such positions, it's rather troublesome, in fact" There were the bare minimum amount of people around, only two or three as far as I can see, they were all terrified.

"So hero, what are you going to do?"

Hero, huh? "I've never really had that fancy title, so I would appreciate it if you didn't call me by that, I'm just a lone traveler with a dream you see? Beatrice, just finish this now" I saw while glancing towards Beatrice, she gave me a shocked look, "What? Like right now, I suppose?"

"Yep, if we don't get him now, we'll have even more casualties you know?"  
"But what about that woman?"  
"Make it painless"  
"What?!"

"Beatrice…" I give her a stern, unyielding gaze, this isn't me asking, I'm ordering her to do this. She shivers and shakes her head "A-Alright, I'll do it! But you're taking responsibility, I suppose!" Clasping her hands together, everything suddenly froze, my sense of touch, my heartbeat, even my sight was gone, time itself has frozen, a powerful spell this is.

Beatrice simply swiped her hand upwards and time moved forward once more, though I didn't see her move her hand, I can definitely feel it, it's the only thing you can feel in a timeless world. Time thawed once more, "As expected" The next moment, a sharp invisible blade of pure pressure headed straight for the two, but Menkalin had jumped out of the way with wind magic.

"Aahhh!"

The woman, who couldn't move one bit was sliced cleanly in half and fell straight to the floor, but I couldn't care less at the moment, "Checkmate" Menkalin who had just landed on the ground, was stabbed straight in the chest by my two knives, that attack was simply a diversion to lure him away from the woman, though, she did end up dying in the end.

"Ul-Goa!"  
"Kardese!"

He let loose another huge explosion, I shielded my self just in the nick of time, but I still got terrible burns on my arms. We both shot back, I planted my foot on the ground and slowed myself to a stop, while he manages to slide back on his feet, "Risking a bystander's life for a few cuts, I really should be calling you a monster shouldn't I?"

He's still not out even after that huh? Well then, time for plan B, "Well, I may very well be a monster, but what do I care, as long as I get you, it doesn't really matter…" I walk over to the dead woman, her two split faces were frozen with expressions of fear, just then I realized that there were other people watching besides the three of us, they were on the ground, in tears, and terrified, they all fled the scene after.

"You endured that well, good job"

I put her body back together and touched her forehead, the next moment, she was seen standing up, she then let out a blood-curdling scream, "Shut up already!" I shouted at her, she fell back to the ground after that and tried to scurry backward, "Go take a nap, it's midnight right now, only kidnappers and assassins stay up at night like this"

I turn back to Menkalin who looked at me in astonishment, "So that is your true ability… the ability of time reversal" I shrug, walking back to my post, "Good job, I wanted to finish this without you finding out but I guess that couldn't be helped, now what are you going to do with that? You can't exactly stop me from reversing time now can you?"

"I'll just have to find a way around it, there has to be a limit to how much you can use that ability right? Nothing is without it-"

Before he could finish that sentence, a heavy metal ball slammed straight into his back, "Gaah!" He flew forward and tumbled down the ground, stopping right in front of me, "I only talked to distract you, you talked because you had the urge to tell me something right? You really are a dumbass when it comes to that, go take a nap" And to finish it off, I give him a strong kick in the head, he was out cold.

.

"Thanks for that last minute save Rem, you really are reliable"  
"Of course Subaru-sama, anytime…"

Rem walked over to see Menkalin while Emilia came rushing to me, "Subaru, I'm confused, what exactly is happening!? Why did Menkalin and Tau go berserk? Are they angry about what hap-" I put my finger on her lips to silence her, and then I grab her shoulder, "Emilia-san, it's no longer alright to play dumb. You'll never be able to be the king like that…"

"Play dumb? What do you mean!"

"Menkalin never intended to be your representative you see, it was merely a cover so that he can kill you, he never had any shred of goodwill in him. In the first place, no one would happily work with you knowing full well what comes with it. Menkalin wanted you dead, he had orders for that, he's part of the Witch-cult you see?"

"But… I still don't get it, why would he…"

"Open your eyes, Emilia-san, this isn't a fantasy land where everyone does their own thing without backlash, this is reality, sweet and harsh reality, this is what you'll have to go through to be king. Don't expect to get special treatment like you've been having all this time, there won't be any of that starting from now…"

And with that, she stopped, it seems like she finally understands what we're trying to say, "So everything he's said to me, they were all lies?" She asked before I could turn around, "I'm not sure what he said exactly, so I can't say for sure, you'll have to ask him yourself when he's awake…" We then proceed to tie him up with her morning star's chain and leave him on the ground.

"Hey… Subaru, Rem, Beatrice… you're my friends right?"

"Of course we're friends"  
"That is correct, Emilia-sama"  
"Although Betty is reluctant, I do agree"

"I see… yes, we're all friends right?"

We nod to her one more time, with a smile to ease her, even Beatrice tried to force one in and it came out pretty natural, "Okay, now that this is all done with lets-" "HEY!" I hear another voice, what's this now? We all turned to where the voice was, and to our surprise, a lot of people managed to group up, with weapons too, hey, isn't that Mr. Bulky over there?! Glad he's doing alright.

"Yo, something up?"

The one with the rather glamorous armor walked up to me, and me specifically, "You not only dare try to kill one of my men, but you're going around killing innocent bystanders?! And what you've done to Menkalin-dono, I shan't let you get away with this!" Ooh, using old style language, fancy. He unsheathed his longsword and was about to strike it at me, I just sighed and stepped backward, this was his contingency plan huh? He's going to use his popularity to get us framed? Pretty smart.

"Huh!?"

Before his sword could land the hit, a wall of flames erupted between us, giving me the chance to step back a few more feet back, "W-What is the meaning of thi- Margrave-sama!" From the sky, I can see two people gliding down, oh, it's Roswaal and Ram, took them long enough, "Where the hell have you been? I was left dealing with this on my own"

"Now, now, Subaru-kun, there was some trouble a little bit over east so I took care of it before coming to the town square…" He landed beside me and called the flames back, the man had his shocked face revealed, "Emilia-sama, Rem, are you alright?" The moment Ram set her foot on the ground, she rushed over to her sister's side, what about me? The one who's actually covered in wounds!

"Margrave-sama, why do you stand in front of us?"

"I'm~ terribly sorry, but there seems to have been a misunderstanding… you see, this man here~ just tried to assassinate Emilia-sama tonight, so as we should, we apprehended him, it was only natural of course"

"T-Then what about the people that were slaughtered?" He said while planting his sword on the ground in act of defiance, what's he got on us? Beside's the fact that we've kinda beat up one of his guys, "There are none, all the people we've killed were witch cultists, get your facts, straight man. Witnesses are getting more and more faulty by the moment aren't they, Beatrice?"

"No! I saw the woman you killed in front of my eyes! How can you blatantly lie about that!"  
"Oh really now? Where exactly is that woman that I killed in front of you, I'd really like to know?"  
"She was… just here, I saw her just there!"

"I'll tell you now, she isn't dead, I told her to get the hell out of here and she did, if you don't believe me, try knocking on her door next time and see if she's there to reply" The intensity I'm exerting to the witness was enough to get them running away, a bunch of scaredy cats's what they are, "Subaru-kun, wasn't that a tad~ bit forceful?"

"Just getting sick of people talking like they know things, please don't mind me"

With a sigh, Roswaal faces the man clad in armor, ready to take on any other problems, "Is there anything else you'd like to be cleared?" Being put on the spot, the man shivered, "One of my men were attacked by this man, and he was almost killed. He came back with a stab wound on his back" True, I did do that, and if I recall, it wasn't that severe. If there was something to patch it up nearby he'd be completely fine, do these guys not know how to use first aid?!

"Rem must correct you sir" It was Rem who stepped in, with a face of indifference, is she trying to pull off a Ram face there? "Last night, that man tried to harass Rem, so Rem fought back" Not entirely true, is she trying to hide the fact of my intervention from Ram? I'll thank her for that, "He did what now…"

Ooho, I feel an extremely deadly aura beside me, this isn't good, "Oi, Roswaal, help me out with Ram!" I grab Ram by the shoulder before she got a chance to leap at Mr. Bulky, "But that doesn't explain the stab wound" With Roswaal and Rem stepping in, they managed to restrain her, for now anyway. I then move up to finish things, "Well Mr. Bulky got kinda pissed that he got done by a maid so he came for revenge, he then got serious and tried to kill me, alright!? You're lucky I only stabbed in the back, it was a fight to the death you know?"

And with that, we've silenced them all. With them finally understanding the situation, we were able to cooperate, there were many sad faces, it seems Menkalin was a pretty good guy with his facade on, a manipulative person he turned out to be, huh…

* * *

Early next morning, after everything was cleaned out, we had Menkalin and a few cultists that were alive captured and ready for transportation, not many people were here, most of them were kept up at night because of the sounds of explosions so they couldn't bother staying awake.

"Menkalin…"

Emilia said as she walked over to the chained assassin, who was pretty much tied up and unable to move, "Please tell me, everything you said, were they lies?" Menkalin looked up to her with a look of disdain, and he scoffed, "Of course they were lies, there was no reason to tell you that stuff if I wasn't planning on killing you, wake up already, people like you make me sick"

Hoping Emilia doesn't go and punch this guy in the face, I stay behind to watch over, everyone else was here, we were all keeping watch, "I see… then I guess you truly weren't my friend…" "I never was Emilia, I never will…" Looking rather saddened by that, she turns her back to him and walks away, and he grins, this is bad! "Emilia!"

Once again, he set off an explosion, I thought we chained his hands together, did he put that much power into that blast? Wouldn't he get caught in it too! I dragged Emilia behind me and threw her to the ground, getting blasted by the explosion in the process, "You're the one I want!" He jumped straight out of the smoke and in his hand was a dagger, the poisoned one.

"Shit!"

I try to grab it with my hands but the shock from the explosion beat me, he pierced it straight through my chest, something burned inside of me, it was different from the curse the mabeast put, but at the same time, similar, "Get off!" I land a solid hit on his face and threw him off his balance. I rip off the dagger in my chest and activate Timelapse to clear out any poison inside.

"El-Fula!"

Then, with a blast of wind, he was launched up into the sky and down to a rooftop, he had successfully made it out of our reach. I was going to chase him down until I noticed something, his arm was missing? No, it was cut off, it wasn't because of the explosion, the cut is way too clean, he cut it off himself, with wind magic, so that's how he's able to cast that explosion!

"To just cut off your arm like that, you really are crazy aren't you?"  
"Sacrifices are necessary for some things... until next time then"

He leaped off with a burst of speed, not like I'm gonna let yo- "Aaargh!" I felt my brain snap, how is the poison taking effect? Didn't I take it out with timelapse? I fall to the ground, my body burning up, what's with this, was that another curse? It has to be, or else this wouldn't be possible. I slowly lose consciousness, I wasn't dying, this is different from that, I'm just gradually losing strength, nothing fatal, and I blacked out...

* * *

 **A/N**

Okay, I read back on chapter 1 of arc 3 and found that I accidentally deleted a crucial bit of information from the final draft of the chapter, it concerns Beatrice and Subaru's contract, it's important to the story so you should read it, it's in the second paragraph onwards, sorry for that!

Arc 3 complete! Kind of, I might do an Epilogue for this one, or maybe i'll just start with Arc 4 already. This was a rather quick arc, wasn't it? Menkalin was inspired from the cultists that attacked Rem and Ram's village back a few years prior to the story, hence the reason he can use explosions, just like the other guy back then, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, then it's part of their backstory, you should check it out.

So other than that, I'm just gonna say there's probably not gonna be a chapter next week, I'll be busy doing things for a debate at school, so yeah. A new rewrite chapter might come up though, whether it's for Forgive me or Warlock, I'm not sure...

Also, I'll make it clear, Subaru didn't die just now!

 **If I Could Begin to Be**

 **Oh boy, will Subaru repeat that dreaded week? Will Rem fall in love with our Car-themed hero? Will Betelgeuse be more entertaining? Find out on the next arc of Re: Life in a fantasy world!...**

 **... But seriously, will Subaru be forced to endure that fuckin' week?**

Well, he didn't need to repeat this arc, maybe he doesn't need to repeat the next? Then again, deep inside, he's still a Barusu, a rather smart-witted, strong battle-sense, and cunning Barusu, but a Barusu nonetheless…

 **MNR-AMR**

 **"Ciao"**

 **I think you finally used that word! Or maybe I'm forgetting earlier uses... Anyways, good chapter my man! It's kinda like the Arc 4 Elsa bit in the mansion, only that you're dealing with cultists and a less skilled assassin this time around.**

 **Rem being reliant on her sister, good, er... Beako being accepting although announcing, check... and Ram being an accomplice? Rare!**

I think it's the first time I'm using it 'in-story', though I do remember instances where I was going to use it earlier, I just didn't for some reason… Also, Menkalin is stronger, since he can use magic and all, otherwise, Elsa would be since she's a vampire

 **Basscuss**

 **Badass Subaru is the best Subaru, from beating some witch cultists to kicking the shit out some brute and now he's going to fight an assassin! Heck, he even admitted being able to kill Rem five times before her landing a good attack!**

 **Now I really understand just how OP Subaru is, really excited for the next chapter and even more excited to read your next chapters!**

Yes, Subaru is OP here, not because of Raw power, but because of skill and experience, that is Subaru's ultimate weapon… besides Timelapse and RBD...

 **MIKE202303**

 **Interesting**

Thank you~ I hope you stick around for more.

 **Additional Character information!**

 **1.)Menkalin:**

 **Magic: Wind and Fire (Explosives)  
Weapons: Poisoned weapons**

 **2.)Mother:**

 **Age: Unknown**  
 **Magic: Unknown**

 **Abilities: Something similar to Subaru's timelapse**


	19. Arc 4: Prologue

**Uploading date: 11/17/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 4: Beginning of the End**_

 **Prologue: Race to the End starts**

* * *

"Legs, arms, head, not even my butt can move… am I paralyzed or something?"

My voice echoed in the shadowy wasteland, the dripping of water, I can hear it loud and clear, wait, why can I hear water here. "Ugh…" I try to force my body to move, but that only resulted into a whole lot of pain, it's clear now, my body, wherever it is, is in pain, but it's not dead, if it was, I would be completely fine right now.

"Hello…"

Oh, there's her voice, shadowy and quiet as ever, "Yo…" Since my eyes are the only thing I can move, I do so, and I see her, covered in shadows, "Do you happen to know why I can't move…? Ah nevermind, it's probably because of the poison on that blade…" She nods, I swear, why am I so prone to poison and curses? I feel like this is going to be the end for me.

"It wasn't poison… it was another curse sadly…"

Another curse? Are you serious, they really are going to be the death of me! On another note, "It seems you managed two whole sentences this time..." Is it going to be something like last time? It is, isn't it? "Mhmm, it's just… I feel a little closer to you all of a sudden"

Oh, it isn't, also, "Don't turn this conversation into some twisted rom-com novel, please! It's rather disturbing thinking about it…"

"Hehe, just kidding… well not really, but I didn't mean it in a romantic way, so it's okay" She sounded rather… Alive today, what could be the reason? I'll have no idea unless I ask. Do I feel like asking? Not at all. "You know… I've always wondered what it'd feel like to love someone… I'm always rather lonely…"

"Well don't expect anything romantic from me…"  
"Of course, I've already asked too much from you…"

"So anyway… what's the next piece of the puzzle going to be, since you're able to talk now, things should go a little more smooth now, right?" I ask her, still unable to move. I hear another drop of water, seriously, what is that? I'm not supposed to hear droplets of water in this place.

"Geez… you're always rushing things. You're gate's practically unusable for the next month or so you know...? Show a little concern for yourself…"  
"Well… that explains why my body won't move"

With my gate unusable, I can't cast any spells or absorb mana from the atmosphere, quite troublesome, but even more troublesome is the fact that I can't release any mana. Mana poisoning, a problem that arises when mana from the body isn't expelled into the atmosphere. Keeping to much mana locked in your body poisons it, which is deadly, luckily for me…

"This is why you had me contracted with Beatrice right?"  
"Yup…"

Figures, well, good thing I'm not dying anytime soon, that wouldn't be a nice thing. The dripping water stopped, and I feel myself fading, "Huh?" I can suddenly move my body again, though weakly. "So guess it's time? Hey, what do I do this time!?" I ask her before going out, she giggles and waves.

"You know what's happening next… and I expect something special when you come back here… bye now…"  
"Darn you and your vagueness!"

* * *

"Haaaah…"

I take a deep breath as my eyes open, I still feel weak, my gates still a damaged it seems, could've been really dangerous if Menkalin used it right off the bat, so he was going to use this to stop Roswaal? Or maybe Puck, Puck is dangerous as well, "It seems you are awake, Subaru-sama…" To my left, it was Rem, sipping tea as she watched me on the bed, a little rude isn't she.

"Yo… how long have I been down? A day or two?"  
"No, it's been a whole week since you were last up..."

"A week?!"

I've been unconscious for that long? Okay, that might be something to worry about, "Did anything big happen while I was down?" I ask her while trying to get up, it hurts quite a bit, "Nothing much, you were the only one injured. After that we all returned back, Emilia-sama and Roswaal-sama had gone to the capital to bring over the greatest healer in Lugnica to treat your wound, and after a few days, we're here now…"

"Greatest Healer… so that's the one with the title 'Blue' right? I think that's how it works in Lugnica..."

"Correct, Subaru-sama…"

So a really skilled mage is here, interesting to say the least. "Okay then, time to get moving…" Getting off the bed, I stretch out my arms, the lack of mana in my body made me really weak, no stamina at all, but I can manage, "Alright, guess I'll get changed" "Then Rem's job here is done, please report to the conference hall, Emilia-sama and Roswaal-sama are both there"

"Got it"

She leaves the room, and shuts the door closed, "My usual clothes are probably ripped up so I won't be able to use them, doubt Rem fixed them, she's got other things to do… Well then, I'll just have to settle for something else…" I step over to the closet and slid open the door, some coats, shirts and pants, and all of different colors, I grab the closest one and force them on myself, a perfect fit, what the hell?!

"Well, no use fussing over it, but man, these clothes are really easy to move in, as expected of a noble's clothes, or is it royalty? Eh, doesn't really matter now does it, they're the same thing…"

I walk out of the room and make my way through the hallway, "Conference room… that's all the way in the other side, and I can't be bothered to go all the way there… Door crossing" I open the door to my left and bam, I'm in a spacious room filled with a few people, Beatrice was there too, "Yo, so you guys started moving things already?"

They were the people from Irlham village, with their help, we're making the Forbidden Archive into a sort of multipurpose room, or a sort of mini-house? I don't know what to call it but basically, moving around is bothersome so I'll just slam everything into one room, "Subaru-sama, we're glad you're doing alright!"

One of the men said, "Yeah, sorry about having you guys do all this" "Not at all, we're indebted to you after saving the village, this is nothing compared to the lives you've saved" Heh, it's nice being a hero sometimes, though that puts a burden of expectation and reliance on you, so I don't fancy it in the long run, "You guys better get up and train you hear? Saviors don't appear out of nowhere all the time you know?

"O-Of course!"

After waving over to Beatrice, I leave the room once more, this time, going into a room filled with chairs and tables. Four people in the room, Emilia, Roswaal, and two I'm unsure of, "Hey, I'm back" The four took notice of me and looked on with surprise, "Subaru! Welcome back, we were all really worried about you"

"Well, Rem and Beatrice didn't really show much concern…"

"Nyaa~ you're impressive Subaru-kyun, I expected you to open your eyes in about a week or so, but to see you already up and about, some strength you have there hmm?" The cat person said as it walked over to me, it was looking at my arms, this feels rather uncomfortable, "And you are?"

"This is Felix, Felix Argyle of the royal knights, he's the one that's been healing you for the past few days"  
"That's right nyaa~ Through the power of love and hard work, Ferri-chan has brought you back"

"Please stop saying it like that, it's disgusting seeing that you're a guy" A shocked Felix turned over my way, "Nyou can tell?!" A cat person wearing a blue dress with ribbons on his head, seriously, what's this guy thinking? "You have the stench of a man, don't think frilly dresses and make-up will conceal the fact that you're a man…"

"N-Nyou… Subaru-kyun is quite cunning, this will be quite troublesome to deal with, Nya~"  
"Okay then… that old Jii-san there, isn't that the sword demon? What's a monstrous fighter doing here?"

With the old man being mentioned, all eyes turned to him. He walks over and bows down, "I am Wilhelm, pleased to meet you Subaru-dono… I have come as an escort for Ferris" An escort, makes sense, that means they're connected somehow. "Surely you haven't come just for a stranger like me right?"

"Of course, we are an envoy sent by Crusch-sama, to inform the Margrave that the fifth royal candidate has been found…"  
"Hmm, really now? Do you know who the fifth one is?"

"No, information about the candidate hasn't been given to the Sage council, that is why a meeting will be held in the royal palace a week from now, we were told to invite the Mathers, Emilia-sama and her subordinates to the capital…"

"We have some business with Crusch-san, so we'll be staying in her place for the week. Ferris also has to supervise your health, we can't have you going sick now" Hey, hey, why am I being treated like a kid all of a sudden, you do realize this is the guy who saved your butts from an assassin right? Treat me more carefully, please!

"That's right, nyou can bet that Ferri-chan will treat you with the utmost care"  
"Sorry but I'd rather you not come close to me you man-cat"  
"My heart! Nyou have broken it…"

Setting aside his weird cosplay, he doesn't seem to be any younger than me, he's also rather slim, if I hadn't a keen sense I would definitely have mistaken him for a girl, a weird guy he is, but he managed to heal me up so I guess I'll be grateful for that, "Hey you two, tell me, did you know Emilia-san was a candidate?"

"Nyaa? Nyot until just now, why do you ask?"  
"I was just wondering, Roswaal, how many people know of Emilia-san's participation"

"I've~ been rather secretive of that, especially from the sage council. So if there were no~ spies anywhere, only the people currently in the mansion, the people of Irlham village, and Crusch Karsten should know about Emilia-sama, why~ does it worry you, Subaru-kun?"

"You see, there are people who plan during the battle, there are people who fight during the battle, there are people who plan before the battle, but the worst of them all, are the people fighting before the battle… this is some big shot competition, one sure one of them is already making a move, looking for the weakest candidate and gaining information on them"

"True, such a thing is possible, I see Subaru-dono is the cautious type…"

"Yes, that's what I like about him…" Light shone in Emilia's shoulder and a gray cat appeared, licking his paw, "But we have no need to worry, I have made sure that no one has noticed my daughters presence or her identity anywhere we go, well, except for that one night… I owe you one, Subaru"

"No problem, it's all good, but you see Puck. People finding out about Emilia-san's identity isn't the problem here..." I say, everyone has their attention on me, I noticed we were I standing up so I had us all sit down, "Whether or not people now about Emilia-san, doesn't matter at all, she's going to be revealed to the public anyway, it's only postponing the inevitable, what I'm more concerned about… are the recent developments we were met with…"

"The assassinations, and the attack in the village… are you saying that those attacks are planned by an opposing party, Subaru?"

"No, if we tortured them and got an answer, that'd instantly put them out of the game, not a good move. Rather, they're taking advantage of the situation, like how a journalist would wait for the right moment for an inconvenience to happen just to make their claim more believable… they're not watching us, they're watching what's happening to us and are planning to use it to kick us out of the "

"Hmm~ So this is why you had me keep both the assassination attempt and the mabeast incident a secret, quite~ a talented person you are Subaru-kun…" Roswaal says with a smile, the did think about it and gave me faces of awe, "Subaru is really smart isn't he?"

"Nyaa~ I think we've seen enough of your internal plannings, we should get going nyow…"

Ferris says while edging towards the door, it seems he doesn't want to overhear something important and get in trouble later on, well, good on him, he knows his boundaries at least. "Alright then, I guess I'll show you guys out…"

.

I bid the two goodbye as their carriage left the mansion grounds, now, it's time to get a headstart on this royal election. I already have knowledge about two of our four opponents, though I haven't told Roswaal or Emilia that yet. I'm sure Ferris Crusch Karsten's knight, and Reinhard is another one as well.

"Once we enter royal palace… the race is going to start… I'll be sure to rid the whole area of pests before we return. But still, I wonder how we're going to get Emilia-san ready, haah, well, guess we'll work something out..."

* * *

 **A/N**

Arc 4 begins, it's going to be a fun ride with Betelgeuse, get ready for it! Also, Warlock is BAAACK, get ready for some brand new chapters next week! Since I've been proofreading arc 6 chapters with WCT, I have a better grasp of Arc 6, so let's hope I don't mess up!

Also, if you check on my illustrations webpage, I have a new Warlock illustration, it's a one-year anniversary thing so nothing special, just Subaru, Betty and Ella in different clothes, also, it's in chibi cause that's my style nowadays.

I'm gonna draw Re: fantasy Subaru in new clothes as well so keep your eyes peeled.

 **Mike202303**

 **Interesting I look forward to the Next chapter  
(This and the countless other reviews you've made)**

Thanks! Reviews are very motivating you know?

 **Sasukesdoom**

 **Potential for rem's horn to be healed?**

Hmm, Rem's horn isn't broken though. If you're talking about Ram, then I'm not sure, and if you're talking about Rem getting her second horn, then that's a big no.

 **Basscuss**

 **WOAH~ great chapter as usual! Are assassins really that slippery that they can escape everything single time?!  
But will Rem fall for Subaru though? Anyways until the next chapter!**

They are, well at least Elsa and Menkalin are, they are high ranking assassins after all! There's also a reason he cut his arm off, he's not a vampire so he can't just reattach it. Food for thought you can say. And sadly for Rem, she won't play a big role this arc.


	20. Arc 4: Chapter 1

**Uploading date: 12/11/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 4: Beginning of the End**_

 **Chapter 1: Steeling her resolve**

* * *

"Crusch Karsten, the duchess that is currently the head of the Karsten family, A noble with an extremely profound military profile, I heard she's participated in a hand full of battles and has helped in holding back the Great rabbit once. Someone like that is a very strong foe, not only because she's widely known, but also because people trust her…"

"Yes, she~ even directly gave word about her candidacy once she found out, taking full advantage of her position…"

There we were, all gathered in the conference room, talking about our rivals and possible threats for the Royal election. "Striking up an alliance with her was Roswaal-sama's first course of action in preparation for this long battle… with her as an ally, we would be in a much better position" Ram informed us, a great idea it is, if our camp manages to strike up a good relationship, we're destined for anything but last place.

"But… she still doesn't know that I'm a half-elf, so I'm afraid that the alliance might not work out…"

"I wouldn't worry about that Emilia… As a noble who's fought in the frontline, I doubt she has the tendency to act on rumors or myths and whatnot, people like her are usually calm and collected, judging people by how they've seen them, as long as you make a good impression, you'll be fine, you have my word for it"

"Hmm, that puts me at ease" Puck chimed in, as fluffy as ever, you'd never think that something so small could be a revered great spirit, then again, there's Beatrice, a scary one she is, speaking of great spirits, "Hey Puck, I wanted to know. Since you don't look all that imposing, I'd expect that people wouldn't suspect you as a great spirit on first sight, am I right?"

"Mhmm, that's right, when i'm cute and fluffy like this, I'm just your everyday Puck! But… I can do this too" Clasping his furry paws together, an ominous presence filled the room, a disturbing aura, this killing intent, this proof of power is among the highest, being able to paralyze your opponents with this fearful yet invisible force, you must be some monster.

"Oi, we get it, there are still people in the mansion…"  
"Ooops, my bad, hehe…"

Retracting his killing intent, Puck floated back down to Emilia's shoulder, "Using Puck-sama's status as a great spirit, it won't exactly help us in achieving peoples trust from the masses, Barusu, if that is what were thinking… since this is the dragon kingdom, spirits don't get much recognition"

Indeed, Ram is completely right, they won't really care if Puck is a great spirit, he has no influence in the kingdom like Odglass of Gusteko, but, that's not why he's important, "Emilia's participation in the royal election… will most certainly cause an uproar. People would get anxious left and right, they may act rash and try to plan an assassination right of the bat, much like what happened with the two we just came across…"

"So, the reason for revealing Puck-sama is…"

"To ensure Emilia-san's safety, and her participation… the sage council may see it us forcing them into a corner, but they'd think twice before taking action on us, and they'll have faith that the public wouldn't do something as outrageous as voting a half-elf as the next king, we'll take advantage of the fact that they're looking down on us, and we'll crush them with it"

"Quite the violent choice of words you used there, Subaru-kun..."  
"We're not walking into a contest… no, we're walking straight into hell"

Emilia shivered in fear when I said that, indeed hell is where we're approaching, with Emilia as a worldwide target, I would be surprised if nothing happened at all, "Well that being said, we have yet to prepare for next week, Emilia-san, I'd like you to fully explain your reason for participating, your ideals for the kingdom, and what you're willing to do in order to achieve them…" The first step is to know your team, this is exactly what we're going to do.

"Umm, okay… When I become king, I plan on spreading equality throughout Lugnica, people should all have the same rights, no discrimination, no more slums, I plan on changing that all. That's what I'd like everyone to know, but there is a personal reason too, Elior forest, the place where I came from, and the place where all my friends and family lived, has been frozen over by a sacred ice that can't melt, I wish to use the royal's store of dragon blood to save them and my home, however selfish that may seem…"

"What a nice and wholehearted resolve… but, it's too weak" I state rather bluntly to her, that might've stung, "That was rather rude, Subaru-kun, and after you made her say it all…"

"Sorry, but I'm not trying to be rude, let me explain. Equality is a rather broad term, when you're going for the throne, it's kind of what you'll be going after, it's nothing new you see. For example, if you weren't rooting for equality, then most of the people won't vote for you, at least that's the case right now. It's good for getting the masses to side with you, but we're not going to present to the masses just yet you see…"

"Might you be referring to~ the nobles Subaru-kun?"  
"Right on the spot Roswaal, if people like them hear about equality, it'd be the same as threatening their authority"

"Huh? But shouldn't nobles be helping the people, shouldn't they be happy that we're standing up for the people?" Ah, such a naive mindset, I can see why Puck so overprotective of her, "We are all subject to sinful nature Emilia-san, the people at the bottom are full of Envy, the people in the middle are full of Greed, and the people at the top are full of Pride, understanding this is crucial. People with envy want to see people fall below them, people with greed want what betters themselves regardless of the externalities, and people with Pride wants to stay at the top… Understanding these three main points, and how to address them, that's how we'll win"

"I… I see…"

"The most difficult to deal with would be the nobles, even if we manage to round up all people from the lower class, the nobles have a much higher authority, if we can't sway them to our side, then we might as well just drop out…"

"Exactly, Ram is right, if there's anyone's support we need, it's most definitely the people in the higher class" That's going to be a difficult task with how stubborn some of them can be, they look down upon you in the start, but when you rise above their expectations, they'll deny it like their life counts on it, "That's why, making a weak impression is something we must not do, under any circumstances. And also, we mustn't reveal your plan for saving the elves before we take down their discrimination towards you "

"That… makes sense, but how do we do that?" Emilia asks, "Quite simple, we'll differentiate you from any discrimination, inforce your ideals and selfishness on them, say something like 'I'm sick and tired of this and that' don't give them time to retort what you say. Being a little bit rude and selfish isn't a bad thing, they are necessary qualities for the king to impose their authority on their subjects"

Emilia nods, as if mentally taking down notes, I'm not even sure if what I'm saying is truly correct, their mostly bits and pieces that make sense to me in the stories i've read, it would be rather optimistic of me to think that this would end like those story, "Now, does Emilia-san have some presentation problems? Like stage fright or stuttering?"

"Nope, my Lia is a confident flower, even if there was a crowd of a million, she'd be able to speak looud and clear"  
"A million? There isn't going to be that many people right?"

"Of course~ Emilia-sama, I'm sure Puck-sama was just exaggerating. We'll only be presenting to~ the sage council, the royal knights, and a handful of nobles, I doubt it's anything you can't do…"

"Ah, but I'm not sure how I'm going to counter anything if they bring up the assassination, or the mabeast attacks, it's like Subaru said, one of them might use that to their advantage and kick me out of the election…"

"You don't need to worry about it, if they decide to make a move… I'll make them regret ever laying their eyes on us as easy targets…"

* * *

After discussing everything else related to the Royal election, we had a practice session where I had Emilia face off against most of the scenarios that I expect could happen there, we gathered a few people that were moving things around in the former library and got them to help us out, "S-So you want us to speak as though we were part of the audience in the election?"

"Yes, be as rude as you can, we need to steel her resolve so she doesn't falter during the actual thing"  
"But being as rude as possible to Emilia-sama would be…"  
"Don't worry, no hard feelings right Emilia-san?"

"Yes, I won't take anything you say to heart, this is a practice session after all…"

The guys gulped, fearing that there might be something even worse in store for them if they weren't going to cooperate, a false sense in insecurity when being in the attention of someone with authority, we need to eliminate that with everyone working inside the camp if we're to make a functioning team, well, I don't think that's a problem as of right now.

"If you say so… Ahem… Letting a half-elf run for king, what a blasphemous idea, there is no way the country would allow such filth related to the witch to roam around the kingdom, let alone give us orders..." He spat out in a venomous tone, only then trembling as he awaited judgment.

"Oooh, I like that language, and the way you said it was perfect. So Emilia-san, how are you going to respond to that?"

"Umm… Maybe something like, I'm sorry but it's rather rude of you to associate me with the witch like that, and I don't like being described as filth, thank you very much… was that good?"

"Eh, could use some work, try to be a little bit more forceful like... How dare you think of me like that scorned witch! We are two completely different people! How would you like it, if you walked outside every single day, only to have people look at you like trash? I'm sick and tired of all you people getting on my nerves like that! I'd say something along those"

They shivered, maybe I raised my volume a little too much for that one, but at least the message got sent through, "Okay, next one!" And it went on and on until we practiced for pretty much any kind of insult they were going to throw at us. I also practiced myself, on how I'm gonna enter myself in to stop any kind of conflict with other opposing candidates, there are many things to prepare for.

We had Roswaal tell us the basic procedure of what we can and can not do as to not get ourselves carried away. Before we knew it, half the day has gone by, time does go fast. The rest of the day was used for relaxing in preparation for the upcoming day, it's going to be a busy week, isn't it.

.

"Hmm, it seems everything is proceeding just as planned…" I say while I open up the door to the former library, let's call the room my room for now since the former library is a rather hard word to say all the time, "It's rather spacious without the books, I suppose, and Betty still feels conflicted about letting them go…"

"Well it won't matter soon, you'll forget those book like a mosquito you killed on a summer's day, damn those things are annoying… speaking of which, are you going to come with us to the capital for the royal election or are you going to stay back with Rem? Or are you able to teleport on a moments notice because of gate crossing or something?"

"Such a feat isn't possible if it isn't a place Betty has no connection to, I suppose, but I will be staying back nonetheless. Things like royal elections and sightseeing mean nothing to Betty, in fact"

"Once a shut-in always a shut-in… well, guess I'll just have to drug you down and bring you along against your will, seems to be the only way"  
"What a crazy nonsensical thing to say, I suppose! If I must come, then you can just ask me you know!"  
"Really now? At first, I thought you would stubbornly refuse and kick around like a bratty child… it seems my image of you has improved"  
"I'm only a child in appearance and name, I suppose! Please remove all suspicions that I act like one!"

Waving my hands in a way that told her I was joking, I walked over to a couch and sat down, "So Beatrice, let's talk about something, I'm bored…" "Saying that right out of the blue, you expect too much of me, I suppose… If you really want to talk, then do tell Betty… about making me disappear"

And in we enter deep waters, "Are you not lying about it, I suppose? Disappearing is a word with a rather vague meaning when you think about it, twisting it to what suits you, doesn't sound so far-fetched in my opinion…" She's doubting the contents of our contract? This is a new one, didn't think spirits would have the guts to do such a thing, it's one thing for the contractor to doubt, but for the spirit that's being contracted, it's almost like a taboo, or so I've heard anyway.

"I'll repeat what we've agreed to… if you follow me, I can make you disappear… that was the basis, now, have any questions? I'll answer any and all, except for how we're going to make you disappear…"

"The contract explicitly states that you can make me disappear, why did you make on such a term, I suppose? If you put it like that, there is no guarantee that you would do it, that's where my doubt stems from… also, on another note, Betty would like you to elaborate on what 'follow me' means"

"Okay, question number one, I said 'I can' and not 'I will' because of your instability back then, and possibility in the future, leaving the world without a trace is a rather scary thought, at the time, you might not have been thinking straight, I wanted to create a situation in the future where you could choose whether to disappear or not… question number two, I've a goal to reach, and in order to reach that goal, I'm going to need a lot of help, think of it like helping me out or something like that"

"Hmm… fine, that's satisfactory, I suppose…"  
"Really? Thought you were going to press further"  
"No, Betty will just have to trust you from here on out, I suppose…"

"A daring spirit you are, trusting a man you met for the first time…"  
"Met for the first time, you say…"

.

 **A/N**

A rather short chapter, sorry, took a while to put some of my thoughts into words...

Okay, kick-starting this off, I want to say a few things here and there. First of all, because this Subaru is not from our world, there will be no such idea as parallel worlds, no reincarnation things, essentially, there is only the world of Re-zero, and as you can guess, this will affect other characters and other plot points too, like the constellations relating to bishop names and Aldebaran...

Astrology is a rather forgotten topic in this story's world for the characters, that's why so little people know about it, and that's why Subaru has an advantage when dealing with theWitch-cultt. Having known the story for most, if not all of the constellations and star clusters.

Also, if anything from his world pops up, just associate it with Kararagi.

 **Mike202303**

 **Wonderful work you never disappoint. I look forward to the next chapter. Your story is severely underrated. You deserve way more attention!**

[Flustered emote!]

If I may be allowed to act like my Subaru for once… I don't think you assuming my story is underrated is because I'm actually underrated, in my mind, I think it's probably due to everyone else's stories being so below average in terms of writing, as such, naturally people would be surprised by- Okay let's stop, this is too out of character for me! I'm terrible at writing, I purposely dropped out of English this year because I didn't want to write essays! They hurt me, they're scary, there are much better people at writing than me! I hate it!

Ahem…

Back to the topic, thanks! Although my skill in writing is closer to that of a student who just scribbled in notepad, I feel like i'm getting enough attention that my story can get, also when writing a story, especially fanfiction, attention usually gets attracted by more familiar characters from the anime, for Re Zero, people [as far as I've seen] come here either for Rem confession, Emilia endings, or for a continuation of the story, I craved for those too when I was new, other characters don't exactly get that much attention, but that's why I've decided to write something different! Betty, Satella and Subaru for the win!

 **Spookysharma**

 **Fucking great man, if only copyright laws would have been in favour of fanfiction writers, I think your version of the story would have sold way more than the original although this also depends on the people who had watched anime first and then they had either read the light novel…**

[Multiple flustered emote!]

Indeed, as a fellow reader, I do know how it feels to wait for an agonizingly long time for the next chapter of a series I crave for, _cough cough Middle cough cough._ Since I no longer have any more exams to stress out about, I'm gonna start spamming out the chapters, though, I am going on a one week trip soon, I just hope it doesn't interfere with my writing schedule.

 **SisyphusWorker**

 **Yooo dude. This is a nice AU where Subaru doesn't really much scream in pain. Though I haven't read yet the succeeding unanimated novel chapters (currently in the part where Rem and Crusch pit heads with Roy and Regulus) I don't really mind getting spoiled, though I'd really like to find a…**

[Flustered emotes galore!]

Being a follower of Typhon is one reason why he's got his pride, but another would be the fact that he's never lost a fair match, the only time he's been beaten fairly had caused him to die, and those causes of death are usually inevitable and seeing that he's alive right now, we can assume that he's beaten anyone that's tried to kill him, some little story lore for ya!

I don't want to say too much, but I will say one thing, this story isn't about Rem, it isn't about Emilia, it isn't about romance, I'm not saying something like that won't happen, I mean, it probably will, but this is a tragedy, so please prepare yourself…

Crash source for the synopsis would be the Wikia for rezero, on Subaru's character page my friend. Currently, we've got Arc 4 fully translated, Arc 5 half-way, and Arc 6 a quarter (of what is expected to be the full arc).


	21. Arc 4: Chapter 2

**Uploading date: 12/26/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 4: Beginning of the End**_

 **Chapter 2: The Karsten Estate**

* * *

A few days had passed since our visitors have left, and it was about time we make our leave too, we wouldn't want to be late now, do we? "Hey Beatrice, we're heading off soon, be ready alright?" I say while making my way out of the mountain of books I've drowned myself into, politics is a rather complex subject, but I've got the basics down, "Betty isn't a child, I suppose, you don't need to remind me…" She replies bitterly, as she tries to shake away her drowsiness.

I head over to the closet to grab some fancy formal wear, despite his usual attire, Roswaal has a hefty stock of clothes and of various styles and sizes, quite unexpected, but hey, all the better, "The whole event should last for just a day, but we'll have to stay a little longer in order for Felix to check on my condition"

Although regrettable, gives me a chance to visit Kadomon, the poor guy is probably still selling appas in his little shop, can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him my new occupation. Enough of that, I took a few clothes that loosely resembled my old ones, "Right then, I'll be waiting outside"

I open the door and was immediately taken outside, Ram was preparing the carriage, it seems Emilia was still a little busy, but Roswaal was already there it seems, "Yo…" I walk over to him waving as I did, and he welcomed me with an iconic grin, "Are~ you all prepared Subaru-kun? It would be rather troublesome if you had stage~ fright you know?"

"Come on, what do you take me for? I faced death straight in the face, you think I can't handle a few nobles and their gazes?"  
"Hmm, of courese~ standing in front of a crowd would be nothing for you, my bad for worrying~"

The day was great, it was breezy and with just enough sunlight, "The airs nice, reminds me of my time back home… ah, those were the days, carefree and fun…" I was stuck reminiscing on the past, Roswaal joined me, "I too had a time~ like that, but they're long gone…"

The three of us waiting a while for everyone else to get ready, they appeared by the door one by one, and we all boarded the carriage, though Rem was staying behind, "Rem, if any intruders decide to infiltrate, show no mercy" Ram coldly ordered as she peeked from the drivers seat, "Of course Nee-sama…"

"Heh, typical Nee-san…"

And we were off. The journey to the capital is going to take half a day, even if we did take off this early in the morning, we'd make just past afternoon, a tiring journey is ahead of us, "Haah, I don't know how long I'll last, staying up all night reading books isn't exactly the most relaxing thing…"

"Betty begs to differ, I suppose, you've just been reading the wrong books is all"  
"Really now? Now you're making me feel bad for you, to think you found enjoyment in reading books for a few centuries…"  
"Excuse me? Betty never said it was enjoyable, I suppose, it just puts me at ease when I'm reading"

Yes, and that's why I feel bad for you, though I can't say that out loud, it'd be too mean, "Hey Beatrice come over here would you" I say while patting on my lap, she shifts her eyes over to me weirdly, "What do you mean come there, I suppose? Betty is completely fine where she is right now, in fact"

"This isn't about you" I forcefully grabbed her drills and dragged her over to where I sat, placing her between my lap, and then, "H-Hey!" I placed my head on top of hers and closed my eyes, "Don't use Betty as a pillow, I suppose!" "I let you sleep in the bed last night, so it's only natural you let me sleep now, don't be selfish…"

"Gh…" While she was sulking coldly at the ground, the others gazed outside, the village was doing their usual routine in the morning, and the ones that took notice of us bowed respectfully, they are really faithful towards Roswaal aren't they?

"Hey Roswaal, Emilia-san, are there any future plans on bringing anyone new into the camp? Was just curious…"  
"Hmm, I~ can't say I have any plans on searching for a new member~ but if a promising one shows up, I won't disagree with the idea…"  
"I see…"

As of right now, politically, we only have backing from Roswaal, though we will definitely get more attention, we'll always be a step behind because of Emilia, to counter that, having more connections with reputable people is most likely our only way of getting a good start, but hey, people like that who meet our requirements is very rare.

"Do you~ happen to know anyone, Subaru-kun?"  
"Me? Heh, even if I did know someone, I doubt they'd remember me"

* * *

I slept the rest of the way, it was uneventful as expected, the road was not bumpy at all, as expected of ground dragons and their divine protection, whenever I was riding my family Liger, it was always a bumpy ride, "Woah, mansions really are big aren't they…" We had arrived at the Karsten estate, it was a bit bigger than Roswaal's mansion, how rich must you guys be to own houses this much! And to think that just a few weeks ago, I was a random squabbler running low on money.

We got off the carriage, with Roswaal leading us to the gate, Felix, the old Jii-san, and a woman in green awaited us, "My~ for the dutchess to personally greet us feels a little overwhelming" "Now now Roswaal, no need for such formalities, we'll be looked upon as equals in a days time, let's not complicate things shall we?"

"Oh, she's pretty easy going isn't she"  
"Hmm…"  
"Ah, I said that out loud didn't I?"

"You sure did, I suppose, fortunately, it wasn't rude" With Beatrice's obvious comment, everyone's eyes were plastered onto me, might as well greet them all, "Yo, Natsuki Subaru, the representative of the Emilia-camp, an honor to meet you, Crusch Karsten" I raise my hand out to her and she accepts it, "Hmm, the honor is mine Natsuki Subaru… And this must no doubt be Emilia, I pleasure to meet you"

A surprised look on Emilia, like that first time we met, "Yes, the pleasure is mine, Crusch-san" They had a good handshake, it seems our greeting had kicked to a rather good start, "Please do come on, we'll first show you over to your rooms for tonight" Hm, she's gonna show us to our rooms herself, how courteous of her, or so they all thought, devaluing yourself in front of your rival, there's a reason here isn't there?

We were shown to our rooms, which were lined up next to each other for our convenience. Emilia and Roswaal then went together with the dutchess over to another room, though I'd love to go with them and see where the conversations going at, I've got problems to deal with in the form of a cross-dressing cat person.

"Nyaa, does my touch stimulate your body, Subaru-kyun?"  
"Yes, yes it does, it feels like a slimy worm wrapped around my waist and it's rather disturbing"  
"Hey, don't reduce Ferri-chan's hands to a mere worm, I have a heart to nyou know!"

Felix was doing a check up on me and I was forced to comply, a weakened gate is no small deal, is what they all say, but to be honest, I couldn't care less, it's not like I can't survive without magic, though, it would suck not being able to use magic, "Ah, speaking of little things Subaru-kyun, who's that little girl over there, Ferri-chan forgot to ask that time"

"Gh, I'd appreciate it if you don't pile Betty with anything considered small, I suppose!" Beatrice complained from across the room, I'm not sure why she's staying in my room while I'm being checked on, and it sure isn't helping me with Felix, "She's a friend of mine you can say…"

"A friend? You dare trivialize our relationship to just mere friends, I suppose! You are a devil among devils you know that!"  
"Nyaha… Subaru-kyun, I didn't know nyou were 'that' kind of person, hehe, a devil among devils huh…"  
"If I really was that kind of person, what better is a guy who likes to cross-dress in ribbons?"  
"Eheh… Nyou have a point there, Subaru-kyun…"

"No shame!? Hey hey, aren't you a man at heart? Do you have no shame for implicitly admitting that you're a shameless cross-dressing cat man who likes to wear blue ribbons to attract people of the same gender and make them fall down into a spiraling pit of despair?!"

"Indeed, I have no shame- no, I have the courage to admit it! And there's no shame in having courage, Subaru-kyun!"  
"Don't just add courage to make your claims seem positive you cross-dressing weirdo!"

"Then if Ferri-chan is a shameless cross-dresser, wouldn't that make nyou a shameless loli-con? You are being hypocritical Subaru-kyun! Ferri-chan has exposed you of your deeds, nyahaha"

"Eh? I never admitted to having such an intimate relationship with Beatrice, that's just your misconception Felix"  
"Ferris, call me Ferris, please"  
"Right Ferris, I only used it as a placement to prepare an insult on you"  
"Devil among devils nyaa…"

After releasing me from his slender and uncanny grip, he got off the bed and faced me once more, "So what is your relationship with Beatrice-chan?" I face over to Beatrice and pondered on that thought, "Hey! Don't you go answering that question without letting Betty consider it as well, I suppose, it would lead to more confusion so Betty will answer that!" She said while getting off the chair she was sitting on.

"Heh? You're the one who caused the confusion to begin with you know?"  
"No! That was the cat man's idiocy, I suppose"

"Ferri-chan doesn't really mind being insulted, words don't hurt as much as a wound would, but I'd prefer it if you referred to me as something cuter instead of 'cat man' it has this hunky feeling that I don't like… maybe 'cat person' or even better 'cat girl' would suffice"

"Go to hell, bulky cat man"  
"Nya! The real devil among devils was nyou!"

With Ferris retreating to the door of the room, I put my jacket, which I had taken off, back on, and I replied to his previous question, "If you want me to tell you how our relationship works well I'd say it's kind of complicated, you see, to boil it down to it's key elements, we're close enough to share a room with a single bed and banter about things half the time, but not close enough to do anything past that"

"Nyah! So it's like siblings"  
"Excuse me? Don't get the wrong idea, I suppose, cat man!"  
"Indeed, it fits the sibling criteria, nyaha, it fits perfectly…"  
"Don't ignore Betty I suppose!"

Hm, that's a nice idea, "Well, let's stick with that then, Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice are, from now on, considered and non-blood related siblings for the purpose of convenience…" "Don't just go along with it, I suppose!" Even Beatrice trying to refute it with all her might, it doesn't seem like she entirely hates the idea.

"Ah, I just noticed Subaru-kyun, if you're going to be siblings, then your not only a loli-con but sis-con too"  
"Eh? You know what that word means too?! Ferris, you couldn't possibly be reading the books from this famous Kararagian author could you?"  
"Uwaah, Subaru-kyun reads his books too? To think that Ferri-chan would meet another brother at a time like this!"

And from then onwards, Ferris and I had founded a new friendship, one based on bookmanship of a certain author based in my home country, I have been blinded by his cross-dressing persona, Ferris was indeed a man, and one with great taste too, he is a great man, I must set aside our differences and accept that…

.

"Haah, it's really something, since I didn't have a solid place to stay back then, I only borrowed books from local libraries, never had the chance of keeping them…"

"Nyuhu… then, would Subaru-kyun like to see Ferri-chan's collection of novels? I've kept them safely in my room in a nice assortment at the back, if you insist, then-"

"Sorry, I know what I said before about accepting your weird fetishes and all, but if you dress like that, then I don't want to know what your room looks like, that's going to lead to a whole different kind of weird, we're going outside, let's go Beatrice" I bring Beatrice along with me as I continue to walk around the mansion, trying to retrace my steps to find the main door, this place is more confusing than Roswaal's place…"

In time, we found the exit we were looking for, and we walked outside, a nice clean cut field outside, I see a few servants working on it right now, and I see Ram too, and that Jii-san, "Yo, Nee-san, I was wondering what you were up to" I say while walking up to the two, "I wild Barusu has appeared, what am I to do… perhaps I should flee"

"Roswaal's still busy with things, so if you were to flee, there'd be no place to flee to"  
"Heh, then entertain me a little would you, Barusu?"

"No, I'm not a jester, I'm your superior, please treat me a little more appropriately please" saying that weakly won't really help my cause, "Ram has not acknowledged that yet, you were once my kouhai, so I will see you as that, no questions asked" So she's going to do me like that huh? Then I'll just do her the same.

"Well at least this kouhai doesn't have problems with babysitting"  
"You better take that back Barusu, kneel before Ram's greatness and plead for forgiveness!"  
"Oho, scary, scary, why can't Nee-san be a bit more lady-like like Rem?"

"Only one of us can be the cute innocent one" I understand that she's cute and all, but innocent is a little stretching it, if you're telling me that demon is innocent, then you're better of calling the witch cult a bunch of con artists trying to scam you everytime you meet them, "Hmm, Subaru-kyun is popular with a lot of ladies isn't he?"

"And what of it, is the man-cat jealous?"

"Both you and Beatrice-chan are devils, hurting my hurt with such words… But! Ferri-chan is not jealous at all, Ferri-chan's heart only sees Crusch-sama and no one else, not even death will change my heart, I'll have you knyow that! "

"Heh, well there's no fighting that. What about you Jii-san? Wilhelm van Astrea, a warlord among others, seeing you in a butler uniform in a household that isn't your own was a little surprising you know? I thought you'd be with Reinhard doing some sparring or something or lecturing some newbie knights on the horrors of the battlefield"

"I'm not something as important as that, Subaru-dono, my grandson has far surpassed me in abilities, even if I were in my prime, I'd still be far inferior to him… and regarding my presence in Crusch-sama's household. I am currently in her debt for a personal matter she is helping me see through, so I'm to serve her with my life"

"I see…"

We all passed some time with pointless chit chat on trivial matters, getting to know each other better, I wasn't able to leak any information on anything, heh, I truly am a devil. After the sun had started to set, we saw Crusch, Roswaal, and Emilia-san come out, calling us over.

"So is everything fine?"  
"Yes, Subaru, how about your side?"  
"Speaking of which, you didn't say anything about it, Ferris"

"Nyaa, I forgot, silly me~ Subaru-kyun should be fine but Ferri-chan would recommend him staying for a week or so, I still need to supervise his recovery, he'll need to exercise his gate at set time intervals a few times a day"

"Ah, would that be okay Subaru? We can have Ram stay with you to keep you company" Upon hearing that, I can feel Ram twitch, fidgeting even, she's freaking out about it isn't she, "Hm~well, of course, we~ can't have Subaru-kun stay alone, that'd be awful of us, wouldn't it? Ram, you wouldn't mind staying with Subaru-kun for the time being, no?"

"If Roswaal-sama wishes it, Ram will do as ordered, even if it is putting up with this Barusu's antics…" She said the latter part in a low enough tone that only I and Ferris were able to catch, calling me Barusu is one thing, but using that nickname as a general term is definitely more insulting than I'd like.

"Ah, since that's settled then we have plans for tomorrow Subaru. You'll be coming with me to the Royal Palace, there's someone that will tour us around before the meeting starts later in the afternoon, make sure to wake up early, don't stay up too late reading okay?" What are you, my mom? Emilia is most definitely the worrying older-sister of this family.

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll tag along…"

We all entered the mansion once more and headed over to our rooms. "Three hungry pigs with different eating habits… a story of a mummy with unrequited love… oh, this one is about the daily life of an average harem protagonist…w-what's with the plot of these books…" I put the books down, they were all absurd, Lugnica doesn't have anything worth reading in terms of literature, what a let down it is…

"..."

I hear the door open and footsteps walk in, "Beatrice" I see her drills, it's most definitely her, there's no mistake about it, I wonder what she could want at a time like this, perhaps, "If you have any premonition of me wanting to sleep with you, please erase them, I suppose" I was wrong huh? "Then, what do you want?"

"I've come to tell you that I won't be coming along tomorrow, I suppose"  
"What do you mean not come along?"  
"It means what it means, I suppose"

"Ehh, you know, it's not really the responsible thing for me to let you go without any supervision, if I told Ram to go with you, I bet she'd do as bad a job as she did with Emilia, and that turned out to be one bloody situation..." not fun, and besides, Beatrice is an even easier target, and with her minimalistic social skills, she's to get scammed easily, I'm not really worried if she got attacked, I'm more worried about the part of the city that will have to face her wrath!

"Okay, you don't have to come with us, but there are places you aren't allowed to roam to, you got that?"  
"I never said I'd be going out, I suppose, I've been snuffed out with minimal effort… sure, Betty can live with restrictions..."  
"Okay good, your not allowed to venture into stores, restaurants, or really, anywhere that would make you want to buy something"

"Hey, Betty feels like these restrictions are the kind a husband would say to a wife who's about to go on a shopping spree with ten years worth of salary, what do you take Betty for, I suppose!?"

"Shush now, your not allowed to go to any bars, don't talk to strangers that look weird, don't unnecessarily go to dark alleyways where no one can see, don't fall off bridges, don't go anywhere near the slums, you'll get dirt on your dress, and finally, if your going to go and do some good deed, make sure to tell me first"

"What are you, an overprotective parent, I suppose?"  
"Overprotective sibling would be a better word"  
"No, I think the word is an overprotective brother"  
"It's sibling, I can assure you..."

"O-Okay?" Giving me a weird look, she casts herself away by exiting the room, leaving me and the night alone, "You know what happens next… huh? Damn that witch, might as well just call yourself Satella the witch of vagueness, you keep tormenting me like this…" But she is definitely right, once Emilia's participation is announced, the witch cult will make a move, though it won't be the whole thing, it'll still be a big thing, there's no reason for them not to take such a golden opportunity.

"Now… the part I'm not sure about is… I expect something special when you come back… I can't exactly bring anything there… only my soul, nothing else, what could I possibly bring there…" I gaze over at the table, where I can see the box, the sage's box, a box made from the bones of the great sage Flugel himself, something my family had been bestowed with from the ages, even now, I don't fully understand the reason for such an important thing to be handed down to me, but I don't need to know.

"Haah, is she expecting me to bring down an archbishop this soon… or maybe…" Since that place can only house 'souls' then, it's possible, it's completely possible for it to happen, though, they may be a little different, they do have souls, but still, something like that! "You can't just drag people into our problem you damn witch… what's ours, is ours, we can't just drag her into this…"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Basscuss**

 **Great chapter as usual! Also (for me at least) your dialogue is what makes you a great writer, you just can't degrade yourself to a student scribbling on a notepad! In fact, you're my inspiration when it comes to character interactions and dialogues because you really capture the reader's attention.**

 **I also agree with Spooky Sharma because this story is a literal light novel in its own rights! If…**

Well, I get where you guys are coming from, if allowed pictures to be added in between stories, this really could a light novel, heh… if only there was an illustrator out there who'd like do it with me, I might be down for it.

 **SisyphusWorker**

 **Tactical and cautious Subaru has always been the best Subaru. Makes me wonder if someone can be on par with him in this story soon.**

If your talking about being on par with him mentally, then I've got to say no one will ever be on par with him, to the point where you probably can't call him human (he is still a human though).

Speaking about intellect, he's only as smart as the books he's read, so he isn't exactly the most knowledgeable there is, he just relies on his gut and instincts when facing problems, he's got a knack for that, with the number of times he's RBD'd before the story took place.

Though if you're talking physically, I'd say he's got a few competitors, to put it on a scale, he has enough strength that if he was given a blunt sword, he'd be able to slam in on another sword and break both swords, so raw strength would be around Julius? Since he was able to break one or two of Cecilus's swords with his own.

But he's pretty skilled with his dagger, I wonder why? It's almost as if he was able to practice for far longer than someone normally can...


	22. Arc 4: Chapter 3

**Uploading date: 12/29/2018 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 4: Beginning of the End**_

 **Chapter 3: Familiar Faces**

* * *

"It's morning time… and Beatrice is already nowhere to be seen?"

Looking around the rather confusing mansion, I search and search but to no avail, she was not present, "Nee-san, have you seen Beatrice by chance?" She turned around with an impeding arrogant look, "Heh, did Barusu let Beatrice-sama slip past his sight? Huh, that's weird isn't it, aren't you the master at babysitting? How could you have let this happen, my, if Barusu is asking for help from the great Ram, then bow down and plead for forgiveness for the shame you've brought upon her!"

"Man, if your chest was as big as your ego, you'd have easily beaten Rem in something"  
"Go die in hell you shameless bastard"

Okay, provoking Ram in the morning isn't the best course of action, "I'll take that as a no, guess I'll be on my way, see you later Ram" Dashing away before her raging hands could reach any closer, I escaped impending doom by a strand of hair. Today, I'm supposed to accompany Emilia to the royal palace, since Roswaal had some business to take care of, he couldn't come with.

"Everyone's going all over the place, just hope Beatrice doesn't cause trouble in the streets…"

I head over to the entrance gate, where Emilia-san was waiting for me, "Ready to go Subaru?" I nod with a smile, I've prepared everything I need, not that there was much to prepare anyway, just brought my weapons and some cash to spare in case I decide to go shopping, the magic woven sac from Farielle was a really handy tool to have.

We got on our ready-made carriage, it had the Karsten's family emblem on it, a nice touch I must say, must be for letting us into the royal palace, "It's gonna be one hell of a palace, isn't it Emilia-san…" she nods as the driver whipped the reins, we were off, "The marketplace is as busy as ever, this was where we met right"

"Indeed it is, I remember you coming in to help me when I didn't need help at all though…"  
"I don't think that sounded like a thank you, but you're welcome…"  
"Merciless woman you are, no consideration for my pride as a warrior…"

That being said, I did save her when Elsa decided to show up, so I was able to make up for that, good, good, "Oh, I can see the palace from here" she chimed at me, I look out the window, and I could see it too, it was as large as one would expect a palace to be in, to think that we'd one day rule the country from up there.

"Speaking of which, there's supposed to be five candidates right?"  
"Yes, it's me, Crusch-san, and three others"

We pass through several buildings, all of different shapes and sizes, from shops to households, all the way till the palace. A large structure it was, the gate itself was larger than I'd expected, the carriage slipped inside, the guards immediately moving to the side when they caught sight of the emblem on the carriage.

"That emblem is a really handy tool, isn't it?"

We were lead deeper into the palace grounds, the hedges were trimmed to utter perfection, their designs were flawless, it's like having several Rems working overtime. "Ah, there he is" Standing in front of a rather large entrance door, we saw what could only be a knight, their imperial uniform was striking, no one could mistake it.

We got off the carriage and approached the knight who stood alone. When he caught sight of us, he smiled and bowed down, we did the same as greeting, "Emilia-same, I'm happy to see that you've made it here safely…" "Hmm, it's nice to see you again, Julius" Ah, they're already acquainted? Emilia sure does have some connections doesn't she?

"That striking purple hair, heh, it'd be impossible to mistake you for another person, your Julius Jukuulius of the royal guards, given the alias as on the greatest knights among all knights, that is you right?"

"Ah, I'm humbled you know of me, may I have your name, good sir?"

"I'm Natsuki Subaru, I've come as part of the Emilia camp representative, not something as fancy as you… to think we'd get a tour of the palace from someone as important as you, hmm, I feel honored, this isn't a chance you're presented with everyday…"

"Ah, Subaru, I just realized, is Beatrice not with us today?"  
"No? I left her behind, why?"  
"I was sure you'd bring her along…"

Well, I did have thoughts of bringing her along, but that'd just be tedious, it's better to not complicate things, though, I do think that letting her go out there alone might have been irresponsible of me, "Then, without further delay, let's commence this tour…" He leads the way, opening up the gigantic door that stood in front of us, I get having a big gate, but a front door of this size is a little much isn't it? I mean, it's not like anyone's ever gonna grow that big.

.

He showed us to many places, all of which just seemed to be oversized halls with a bunch of things stuff in just so they could call it something other than a hall, these royals are living the time of their lives aren't they? Isn't this a bit overwhelming? No, it definitely is for me, I'm the one being overwhelmed here!

"The meeting will be held in the throne room, which is inside here…"

Opening up another oversized door, he brought us into a hall like area with an arrangement of seats on top of a bunch of steps, I don't exactly see a throne, so that must be where the sage council sits, "The meeting will be held in this room, later today, we have a few hours until then, I have patrolling duty to attend to so I'll be taking my leave here…"

"Ah, actually, I wanna go look for someone, so mind if I trouble you by tagging along?"  
"Not at all"  
"Right then, sorry for leaving you all alone Emilia-san, but I'm a little worried about what she's up to"

"Ah it's okay, I'll stay here, Roswaal should be here in a moment, I'll wait a little longer for him, do remember to come by at noon, I'll be anxious if you suddenly don't show up you know?" Well, I did tell her that if she was ever in a pinch during the meeting, I'd come and talk some sense them all, but now that I'm here, I feel like it's going to be a lot harder than I originally thought.

"Don't worry, I'll rush right over when it's time, and they don't let me in, I'll find my way around the guards and probably sneak in through the roof or something, maybe enter through a window, I'm sure they won't mind…"

"I'm afraid they would, Subaru, it's okay, if anything inconvenient like that happens, I can come and help out"  
"Haah, really now? You're a life-saver, I'd rather my head not get chopped off for infiltrating the royal palace"

"We don't take such drastic measures against that, Subaru…"

We wave off to Emilia-san as we take our different routes, while she stayed in the palace, we went out to the city to venture around, "Going for your patrol, Julius?" A man called out to him, he was by the gate, he didn't look familiar, not someone I know, "Yes, I'm about to leave right now"

"And this here is?"  
"Natsuki Subaru, representative of one of the camps that's participating in the royal election, he'd like to tag along with me while I do my patrol"

"I see, I'm Marcos Gildark, Leader of the royal guards, a pleasure to meet you"  
"Heeh? I feel like I'm meeting a lot of important people in such a short amount of time, the pleasure is mine, sir…"

To think that'd I'd be introduced to both, the greatest knight, and the captain of the royal guards, what a day today is, perhaps this spells good omens for the future? "Like hell that'd happen, my lifes always full of misery, a little coincidence like this is just to trick me, isn't it fate…" "Your rather pessimistic aren't you, Subaru?"

"I'd rather you use the word cautious, pessimism is something I try to stray away from, it makes me hesitant, lose confidence, among other things, though being too optimistic isn't the way to go either…"

"Hmm, that sounds like life advice does it not?"

"I've traveled across borders, you can say it's the tales of a wandering traveler. Well, since I decided to sit down for a few years, guess I won't be wandering as far as I'd like to…"

"Are you perhaps a foreigner Subaru?"  
"I'm from Kararagi, yeah, why ask?"  
"It's rare seeing someone with hair as dark as your's around here"

"No kidding, you guys have enough variation in your hair that you could probably make a rainbow if you all lined up, I was surprised you know? It wasn't every day that you got to see people with such bright colored hair back where I lived my younger days…"

We went around the city, helping out people, and on the look out, there was nothing that happened which could be marked as trouble, the only thing that could be remotely close to trouble would be the bickering of street kids, if something were to happen, I'm sure Beatrice would show up to the scene, not as an onlooker but maybe as the assailant.

"The city is as lively as ever it seems…"  
"I think cities are meant to be lively, Julius, it's like their reason for existing…"

We continued our idle chit-chat until I felt something, "Oh, that's gotta be her, she's somewhere near here…" I can feel her presence nearby, she's looking around this area it seems, oh no, no way, it has to be fate right, for her to be in this area while roaming around?

"Nhh…"  
"Look kid… their all the same…"  
"Silence, I suppose…"

I can't believe it even though I'm seeing it, Julius is probably looking at me weirdly right now, to think that those two would meet up before me, this is some kind of black magic happening around here, I don't mind it at all! "..." "..." I crouch down behind her as she scanned the not so varied appas on the crate, "Then, I'll be taking this one…"

"Only one? I'll feel a little lonely if you're not going to get me one you know…"  
"Kyaaa! W-What are you doing here, I sup-ppoise!"  
"Ah, you flubbed your catchphrase there"  
"Don't change the subject, I suppose!"

Patting the head of the flustered Beatrice, I grab the appa in her hand and toss it over to Kadomon, "Yo, it's been a while hasn't it?" he grabs it as it approaches him and sighs, "It has been, she someone you know?" He asks while pointing over to Beatrice who was trying to get herself together, the scare really did a number on her.

"Yeah, she's with me, let me introduce her, Beatrice, this is appa man, Kadomon, this is drill loli"

"I'd rather you not give me such a heinous nickname, I suppose!"  
"And I sell more than just appas you know?"

With the quick introductions, we had a little bit of idle talk until Beatrice became the topic, "So what is she, a friend? Are you like her nana or something" Eh, wasn't that a little too harsh Kadomon, not even I'd go that far, "Well we've decided to settle with the relationship of siblings you see"

"What do you mean by, 'settle', seems like it's implying something…"  
"Nothing at all, you see, our contract comes with a few complications"  
"Contract? What, did you get into a planned marriage with a nobles girl or something?"

"N-No, the last thing I'd like to do is marry a four-hundred-year-old granny in the body of a child"  
"Betty shall take that as an insult, I suppose, calling me a granny is also crossing the line, you know, prepare to die..."

"Okay, guess I'll just leave you guys at that then… so, you need anything? Or just came by to make fun of business again? I don't really have that much time in my hands so if you're gonna buy things then buy them, or else, make way for others" How cruel, and I even went out of my way to find you, by chance that is.

"I'll take the usual dozen"  
"Huh? You don't usually take a dozen but okay…"

Putting some appas into a plastic bag, I gave him his pay and we made our way back to Julius, "I've been wondering who's the sparkling man standing by the sidelines, I suppose…" Sparkling man? Guess he's just that handsome, a bait for envy is what he is alright, "That sparkling man right there is Julius, a knight I met back in the palace. Beatrice-san, could it be, you've found your first love!"

"Don't go acting crazy now, I suppose, it'll take more than sparkles to enrapture Betty's heart, and what are they anyway, these sparkles are really annoying, in fact!"

"Ah, sorry, then there's no mistaking it then, you are a spirit, yes?"

Her eyes sparkled once he mentioned that, "Perhaps I have found my first love then, I suppose…" Augh my heart, "Beatrice-san, if you leave me now, I'll probably die of loneliness you know…" Sulking in the corner, while she dazzles on such a handsome guy, I feel rather hurt, "If you're really going to be lonely, then you would have died long ago, I suppose"

"Ouch, my heart, that was too mean, Beatrice!"  
"Perhaps?"  
"Don't perhaps me, that's as mean as you can get!"  
"Indeed, that was mean, I'm sorry, I suppose, Betty will stay with you as long as you need"

I feel a little conflicted about having a little girl pat me on my head, isn't our roles supposed to be switched here? The little ones are the ones getting petted, aren't they? "Hmm, it seems you have been affected by my blessing, the Divine protection of spirit gathering…then, let me introduce myself properly, Julius Jukuulius, an imperial knight, it's an honor to meet you," He says with a polite bow, why aren't the women in the streets going crazy for him yet?

"I'm Beatrice, just Beatrice, I suppose"  
"Oh, but I recall you were talking abo-"

"Don't listen to something he says so easily I suppose. Since you've found out that I'm a spirit, then simply refer to me as Subaru's contracted spirit, I suppose" he nods, going along with her wishes, "As you wish… but then wouldn't it have been better were you to tell that man back then about it?"

"That wouldn't be possible because of our contract, I suppose"  
"I see..."

With the addition of Beatrice into the party, we venture onwards through the marketplace, still nothing out of the ordinary happening.

"Is it usually this peaceful over here?"  
"Hmm, it is rather uneventful, at least when it's my turn to patrol"  
"I see…"

Well, it wasn't the most peaceful place last time, though, I guess we can just call that one a coincidental encounter, though those don't happen too often, "Hand over your money lady!" "Excuse me?" Two voices rung through my ears, familiar voices, it seems the other two have heard it as well and are about to rush over to see the commotion, I grab them before they could lift their feets off the ground.

"S-Subaru?"  
"What are you doing, I suppose?"

"Calm down guys… let me handle this one" I walk over and turn the corner, the voices get more clearer, I remember this voice very clearly, this must be my lucky day, "Well, look who we have here!" I stomp my foot on the ground forcefully to get all of their attention, the woman in red, no, forget about the woman, I'm not interested in her whatsoever, my target is, "We meet again…"

The three thugs from back then who tried to rob me of my money, oh, fate has been a very kind woman today, I can't thank her enough, "Hey, it's the brat…" Yes, it's the brat, keep calling me that and I won't leave any of you alive, "Might as well just take his money to-" I slam my fist straight into the guys face, "Guoh-" His body flailed back and slammed into the other two, though, that wasn't enough to stop his momentum, they kept on flying back till they slammed against the wall, I think I heard a snap there, did one of their bones break? Ah, I wanted to break a few more if possible.

"Hey, come on now, I'm not satisfied yet, let me punch you some more!"

I step front, the whole area flooded with my bloodlust, I too am capable of eliciting such an emotion, "R-Run for it!" The big made a break for it, grabbing the other two with him deeper into the alleyway, and out of my sight, "Tch... I let them escape" Curling my fist back into my pocket, I sighed out loud, and turned around.

"Hey, you al- Ah, I was wondering where I heard that voice from"  
"Don't think of this as you saving me, I could've handled that situation without effort"  
"No don't worry, I didn't do that for you, I met those guys a while back, just wanted to repay them a favor…"

I walk over to the ungrateful woman, well, it's less of her being ungrateful and more of her just admitting defeat, "Priscilla Barielle, it's been a while hasn't it?" I pulled my hand out for a handshake, though she doesn't seem willing to, "I would have spared some of my energy for a greeting, but seeing that you've got a stain there, i'll have to reconsider…"

Ah, there's a spot of blood there, it's not even mine, "You're using different clothes, they look much more refined, have you perhaps evolved from being a mere commoner, perhaps?" Wiping of the blood in my hand, I walk past her, nodding, "You can say i've leveled up in terms of occupation…"

"So, how's Schult? Oh, and is Aldebaran here by chance?"

"The little boy is fine, he's in my care wouldn't that be obvious? And the other one you speak of is currently staying back in my place, I can't have him not be absent when I need him" The other one huh? I kinda feel bad for Al, maybe she really is just ungrateful, well, there's no changing a person once they're like that.

"Subaru… who's that woman…"

Beatrice asks, entering the conversation with a rather coy attitude, "What's with the timidness? Perhaps your not good with strangers- ouch!" Stepping on foot in annoyance, she sulks in the other direction, "My, who is this cute child here…" It seems Beatrice managed to drag her attention, well, that's no surprise, this woman has a soft spot for children after all.

"Her names Beatrice, she's with me"  
"Hmm, how old is she?"  
"Which age do you want to know?"  
"What do you mean which?"

"Mentally, physically, and actual, you get to choose from those three" I gave her a condescending look while giving the options, though she narrows her eyes on me, "If you're giving me choices like that, I'm afraid of finding out…" She gave me a disgusted look, wait, I was actually serious about that.

"Well, a child is a child, she acts like one so I'll leave it at that…"  
"That sounded like an insult, but why does it feel so wholesome, I suppose?!"

"You're asking me? Ask all the children she's enchanted with her insanely powerful motherhood, ah, speaking of which, you haven't gone and killed another husband have you?" Hearing me say that, Beatrice who was at that moment standing beside her rushed over to my side, shivering, "Wait, killed?! What is this woman, I suppose!?"

"Now see what you have done, don't make it seem like I deliberately killed them off you know, it was just a coincidence, each of them… no, Leip might not have been a coincidence, but even still, it wasn't I who took away that damn scheming bastard's life"

"Hey, pushing the blame on someone else doesn't really change much, she's still gonna be scared of you"  
"Betty is not scared, I suppose, I'm merely wary of her, stay away from Subaru in fact!"

"She seems quite attached to you, I'm a little envious..."

Oh, that was an ominous feeling just now, it seems she doesn't like it when kids treat other people better than her, it seems deep down she's just the same ungrateful person she's always been, "Well, nothing to be done about that, what are you doing here anyway? Normally you'd usually be in your mansion over near the border right? Rare seeing you out of your usual place"

"I may be one that stands high, but I'm still a human deep down, my wanderlust simply got the better of me and this is where it lead me to"

Heh, not even Ram can beat that head of yours, "Well then, I'm pretty much the same, difference being that I got an important job to do here, so I guess I'll be seeing you…" I wave off and turn around, bringing Beatrice with me, she waves back, but only to Beatrice, but before we were gone, she replied, "Oh, we'll be seeing each other soon enough…"

I knew little about what that meant, so I didn't pay attention at all, "It seems Julius has left without us…" he could have at least told me, "He had someone calling him so he's left, I suppose… so where to now?" A good question indeed, since our escort is gone, we're left to roam around aimlessly until the time for the meeting.

"Well, let's look around now shall we…"  
"Psst-"  
"Huh?"

We had just turned a corner and there's already someone calling me back, I'm meeting a lot of people today aren't I? "Hey, kid…" Oho, another familiar face, "It's Rom from the (destroyed) bar! It's been a while, how's your shoulder doing?" From what I can see, it seems to have fully healed, good for him.

"It's alright, all thanks to you, now, could ya tell me where Felt is?"

Felt, the brat from that night, the one who stepped on me, the little bastard, "Yeah, I know where she is, but it's basically impossible for you to get over there right now, they'll only let special people in" He gave a look of disparity, well, one would be like that after all the happenings, I guess we can label Reinhard as a kidnapper now.

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure she's safe, say, I got an idea to get you two back together"  
"What do you have in mind?"  
"I'm gonna need you to follow my orders okay?"  
"I'm in for it"

Okay, so let's just speed this part up, basically what happened was, I bought some chains and had him lightly tie his in a comfortable position. Then I had him stay in the old ruined bar house for the time being, and I told him, "This is the story, two knights decided to capture you for reasons you have no idea, they were going to execute you but then I came in and managed to delay it for a bit, and then you've been waiting ever since"

He was skeptical at first, but if it was for Felt, he'd damn sit there and do it even if it was for years, "Familial love, how heartwarming isn't it Beatrice?" "It may be a little too heartwarming if you ask me…" After all that had been dealt with, it was finally time for us to head back to the palace, I dragged Beatrice along with me this time, she's coming whether she liked it or not.

But alas, another problem surfaced the moment we made it to the palace gates, "Halt, no entry!" Huh? There were two guards, full body armor, with spears crossed together to block our path, "Wait… what?! I need to be in there, the meeting's about to start" They didn't budge whatsoever, only repeating, "No entry!" to my face.

"Damn that Julius, leaving me like this!"

* * *

A/N

Woohoo, early chapters, getting back into the flow, yay me! My schedule is still messed up, with me staying up at night and napping the day away, this is no good isn't it?

Well, since I've expanded the story much more than the original first three arcs, [Currently got the next 3 arcs covered + the ending] I changed up a bunch of things, the Priscilla camp, had many changes, and there will be an arc covering that later on after the Sanctuary one,I won't make characters act totally different, Priscilla only acted the way she acts because of things that happened in the past, in reality, with anyone else, she'll still act like the arrogant little shit she is...

If there are things that get out of character, it would only be to the result of interacting with this new Subaru, who's vastly different from the original.

 **Spookysharma**

 **I really enjoyed this chapter and I was waiting so long for this. It was so good to see that my wait was not in vain, well, they are never in vain when I read your stories. Although I just wanted to know if you are trying for a Ram X Subaru shipping here. If this was truly the case, it would be so awesome. Ram is my most favorite character after Echidona and Pandora so, I really wish to see a Ram X Subaru shipping.**

Ram is indeed an amazing character, but sadly this won't turn out to be a Ram x Subaru, well, it's not really going to be a Subaru shipping, no romance here… though if a Ram X Subaru is what you want… then mayhaps, it shall be granted in the near future…

It's hard to make such a pairing (for me at least) due to Roswaal's hindrance on the subject...

 **Honghai Blizzard**

 **Luz so Subaru and Ferris bonding over literature taste... I can see lots of face-palming in the futures.**

Hummu, there sure will be!

 **Back with the Character sheets! (only relevant characters show up)**

 **1.)Julius Jukuulius**

 **Age:- 22  
Likes:- Knight's honor  
Dislikes:- Disgrace, Shame, Humiliation**

 **Magic:- All  
Weapon of choice:- Spirit arts, longsword**

 **2.)Priscilla Barielle**

 **Age:-21**

 **Likes:- Children, praise**  
 **Dislikes:- Anything that displeases her**

 **Magic:- Yang**  
 **Weapon of choice:- N/A as of now**


	23. Arc 4: Chapter 4

**Uploading date: 1/22/2019 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 4: Beginning of the End**_

 **Chapter 4: My king candidate**

* * *

The two of us stood there, dumbstruck, "We just got locked out… god, damn it…" Apparently, we had no authorization to enter the palace, I was supposed to stay by her side at all times since I didn't have any political stand here, and since Julius is not here, I can't rely on him to squeeze me in either, what am I to do.

"Perhaps… Yes, it's entirely possible, with Beatrice's help, I'm sure I c-"  
"Don't expect assistance from Betty if you're going to try an infiltrate, I suppose"  
"Oh come on, Emilia-san needs my help, she's going to die in there, you know?"

"You just have little faith in the girl, I suppose, that's your own problem, and not Betty's, I suppose" I may not have too much faith in her but it's completely different if she's the one who asked me to be there! It's not a problem of me having little faith in her, it's her having too much faith in me, a promise is a promise you know! I can't just break that!

"If my partner won't help me, then I'm just going to have to go at it alone…"  
"Wait, why do you have such a serious tone, I suppose? You're not actually doing it right?!"  
"Oh, I'm serious alright, I'm getting in there no matter what…"  
"At least say that in a low voice so that the guards won't hear you, I suppose!"

True, but still, even if I had to break a few laws, I will make my way in, I'm sure Roswaal will just break me out of it like it was nothing, he just feels like that sort of guy, like a last minute hero, he gave that impression last time anyway. The guards stood firmly, as if eyeing me meaningfully manner, they aren't going to let me go no matter how much I sway them it seems.

Beatrice tugged on my sleeve, with eyes that were telling me to give up and just go home, how dare she underestimate my resolve, "Huh?" I hear large footsteps behind me, no it'd be better to just say I heard a carriage approaching, a rather, heavy one by the sounds of it, I turn around and my eyes perked up.

Crouching down, I look over to Beatrice and tell her, "I'm counting on you, partner…" Replying to me lackadaisically, she looked to where the carriage was coming from, "Huh…? What are you counting on, I suppose?" the carriage was lined with gold, I don't think pure gold would be very practical, so it's probably something that looks like it, it was overly decorated with ribbons and such, one befitting of the person riding this very carriage.

"With something this flashy, it'd be weird if it wasn't her…"

The carriage stopped by the gate, and the Knights opened it immediately, I'm kind of annoyed since this kind of discrimination is fair, well, it's not really discrimination, but explaining it like that, puts me in a better position, "My, my, look who we have here" Peeking out of the window, appeared the woman who we've just met minutes ago.

"Priscilla…"

Waving the driver to a halt, she peers down on me, it may look like she's belittling me, and it's because she actually is, darn her. I nudge Beatrice and she looked back at me confused, "What do you think I'm expecting you to do?" I blatantly tell her, and she turned away with a sour look.

"Excuse me, lady from before… would you mind it if Betty and Subaru were to come inside the palace with you, I suppose?"

"My, the little one has excellent manners for her age, unlike a certain someone…" She gave me a glance before turning back to Beatrice, hey, I have feelings too you know, I'm not just some other person, maybe 'some other person I know' would be a bit better don't you think? "Though I can't say I'd enjoy bringing the anomaly, I just can't turn a blind eye to a child in need"

Now I'm being classed as an anomaly? Who's the one without manners here?! "Al, make room, we'll be bringing these two with us!" With the door opening, we feel a cold breeze coming from inside, does that thing have a cooler or something!?

We step inside the 'golden laced' carriage, a feeling of unnecessary gleam was there, this was the exact definition of being spoilt, just how rich is this woman, "Yo Al, been a while, hope you don't mind if we crash for a bit" we took the seats that were opposite to the Priscilla's, a man sat with us, much older than me, both his arms crossed, and his head covered with a stylish metal helmet, the kind you would find in Volachia.

"I think that's something you should be saying to the princess, Kyodai"  
"Well I've got Beatrice with me so I'm sure she won't mind"

"Although she is your only reason for being here, don't forget that I hold the authority for whether you can stay or not, I would watch my words if I were you, commoner" Crossing her legs, she narrowed her eyes on me, she's a scary woman, no one can disagree on that, "And what business may a commoner have in the royal palace? Here to file a complaint or beg for pocket change?"

"Your jabs really do hurt… but no, we're here on official business, I went out of my way to get something fancy, of course it's a big deal" Actually, fancy clothes were the only clothes I could find in the mansion, so I had no choice, but I'm not going to say that "It's really important, but I doubt you'd really care about it"

"That is indeed correct, how preceptive you are… but I am quite interested in what the little one is doing with you, perhaps you are escorting her to some sort of arranged marriage perhaps"

"I would appreciate it if you keep your aristocratic ways to yourself"  
"Indeed, the thought of it sickens, Betty, I suppose…"

Priscilla gave us a weird look, for a person who's gone through quite a lot of those, it's not surprising, "We're here to meet up with someone, and once we're done with that, we'll be on our way, nothing more, nothing less… okay, maybe there could be more, but that depends on the situation" She gave an unamused look, what did she think we were here for?

"I should have expected such, nothing interesting ever happens in a commoners life doesn't it, I don't know how one lives that way"  
"Well, we manage somehow…"

After a bit, we enter into the royal palace's gates, fortunately, I've already been given a tour of the palace's insides so I won't be getting lost any time soon, "Hmm, speaking of commoners, how's Schult doing?" I say while looking through the large and open hallway, this place is much larger now that I'm looking at it properly.

"The boy is doing fine, I've left him behind, he has no business here and it wouldn't be nice to responsible to bring a boy his age into a place with a serious atmosphere" Schult, he was a small kid with pink hair, red eyes, orphan, not the most fortunate before she met Priscilla, and speaking of which, he was kind of the reason Priscilla, Aldebaran, and I got acquainted.

I was led by Satella to the border of Lugnica, the reason for doing so, was so I can meet Aldebaran, he was a person who was very... 'knowledgeable' about the witch cult, I got to know the names of many of the current Sin Archbishops because of him, of course, I was a little skeptical at first, you can't exactly trust someone who has miasma over him.

Well, either way, we got along after a rather heated event in the area, people were endangered, houses were destroyed, the typical stuff that I'd have to go through, and in came Schult, just some random kid, dying in the whole ordeal, though I didn't exactly want to, I kinda had to loop once because of him, so he better take good care of that life of his.

"Hmm… a rather strange person has appeared, I haven't seen her here before…" Priscilla halts and opens up her fan, covering her mouth. Following her line of sight and catch sight of a glimmering sign, "Ah..." there she is, looks like I've found her, well, didn't exactly find her, but it's just as good, "Subaru, I was wondering where you were, it's about to start!"

Getting a running start, she approaches us and I walk forward, "Yeah, sorry about that Emilia-san, the guards kept me waiting in gate, but I managed to slip in one way or another, also I've brought along Beatrice" Patting the head of the little spirit beside me, Emilia reaches over to see us. Priscilla raises a brow, seems she's a little more interested in what I'm doing here.

"Ah, let me introduce you, this is Priscilla Barielle, she's some big shot in the nobility, might be good to acquaint yourself with her"

Looking towards Priscilla, Emilia nods. She brings her hand out for a handshake, but before being able to say even a single word, she waves her fan at her, "How rude of you to assume that someone as high as me would like to be acquainted with someone like you" Emilia immediately brings her hands back in shock, a sad look in her eyes, she takes a deep breath.

"I understand your disgust towards my race... but please mind your tone, this is the royal palace after all…"

Heh, it seems Emilia has a misunderstanding on Priscilla, this is going to be interesting, "Oh my, you poor fool, to think that you'd have to suffer like that, perhaps I should have sugar-coated my words, even if only a little…" Well that sounded really rude, but that's expected of the high and mighty Priscilla, "Maybe you should have sugar-coated your words, Priscilla, besides, you're talking to the future king you know?"

"Oh my…"

"Let me introduce you, this here is Emilia, a candidate to the throne, a half-elf with silver hair, and a woman who's gonna change the world, she's the king I've chosen to revere"

"Oh dear… to think that you could be even more foolish than you are now…" Priscilla said with a smirk, weird, she would probably suspect us for lying first, I wonder why she's acting different, "I'll have to ask you to drop right off of the royal selection right this moment" Flashing a red colored glowing stone at us, she mockingly proclaimed, something just horrible has happened.

"I see… so you're my rival in this royal election…"

"I may be your rival, but under no circumstances, will you never be mine, no one stands a chance when I'm in the table, everything else is meaningless, this whole competition is just an event to entertain me while I wait for the crown to be passed over to my hand, I'll tell you one more time, it'd be best for you to just drop out before it even starts, take it as a word of advice from someone clearly on a higher standing than you…"

"Don't think Emilia-san will back down because of that puny litt-"  
"Subaru, I'd like to say it if you'd please…"  
"Of course… Emilia-sama…"

Backing down, I let Emilia take the lead and she looks straight towards Priscilla, that's like grabbing a rhino by the horns, Emilia is braver than you'd expect, "Priscilla Barielle, nothing you do will make me turn away from this, I'm here not because I'm capable, nor because I'm meant to take the throne, I'm simply here because I have something I have to do, if your going to stand in my way… let's just say, I'm not going down without a fight"

"Fufu… then, entertain me as much as you can, besides, you have a useful pawn at your disposal…" She takes a glance towards me and smiles, waving her fan once more, she turns around and starts walking away, a rather abrupt exit, Al followed behind her and waved towards us, I wave back as a quick goodbye, I really o feel bad for him, dealing with someone as haughty as her, must be tough.

"Well, that went better than I expected…"  
"Subaru, how'd I do?"

Emilia, who's calm composure returned quite quickly, asked, as if wanting to be complimented, she handled that well, though a compliment won't be a fitting response "Hmm, you did well, nice and firm, and you sounded cool too, that'll do fine for the gathering. Though I'd go a little bit more hard with that, instead of proclaiming yourself as an obstacle, you should have just said you can beat her, she might have tried to fight back then, but if you can keep it up, she'd have to start being wary of you"

"But, won't she try to do something bad if we provoke her too much?"

"No, she's not the kind to play dirty, sure she might poke at your nerves, but she's too noble for those kinds of things, kind of like… 'Why should I bother dealing with someone who's all talk' and if she ever resorts to violence, well, all we need is a kid or two at the scene and she'll snap out of it, I think having Beatrice here helped with the current situation a bit too…"

As we were discussing this, we heard a bell chime in the distance, perhaps this was to call us over, Emilia then confirms this by walking towards the sound, we follow her closely behind. Now that I know all but one of the five candidates, surprises shouldn't be too likely, still, preparing for the worst is something I've gotten the habit of doing.

We went to the direction Priscilla went, and took turns that she had probably taken, until we reach a rather large door, larger than the other large doors, that makes it a pretty large door, doesn't it? There was also someone waiting for us in front of it, "Ah~ Emilia-sama, Subaru-kun, I'm glad that you~ could make it, and a surprise visit from Beatrice… this seems like a grand day~"

"Well it's about to go downhill from here, we're going to have to try our best not to fall behind now…"  
"Mhmm, I'll try my best not to drag us all down, promise!"

With enthusiastic faces, we enter the room that was to decide our destiny…

.

"What gives? This isn't how I'd imagine it at all…"

There was chit chat, small talk, trivial conversations, whatever you want to describe it as, the room was filled with it all, but none of it was about us, "Are people over here actually trying to be decent human beings… this must be a bad omen of some sorts…" There's no mistaking it, people aren't just going to willingly avert their gazes from Emilia under normal circumstances, this world isn't kind enough to let that happen.

"Roswaal, what sort of magic did you use? Did you brainwash them all? Perhaps you bribed them all before we came here?!"  
"You're being a little too loud Subaru-kun~ the problem lies within Emilia's clothing, you see…"

Hmm? Clothing, indeed, Emilia did wear something before coming inside the room, a white cloak, magic-infused I expect, "Something along the lines of 'hides your face from people who you don't want to be seen by' or so Roswaal said" So Roswaal was the mastermind behind this, a perfect plan indeed, so people just haven't noticed her.

"Haah, that's a relief, I thought people had gone crazy…"  
"Just how little faith do you have in humanity, I suppose? Can't you think of them a little more highly?"  
"Big words from someone who's literally rejected the existence of everyone who's tried to help her out"  
"I don't want another word out your mouth, I suppose!"

With our bickering being ignored by most of everyone around us, we waited for something significant to happen. We say Crusch talking to a few people, but she seemed busy so we didn't want to bother her just yet, but I did see a flicker of red go by, could it be? "Hmm…" Looking around the countless array of people, I first thought it'd be Priscilla, but such a brilliant red couldn't be hers, it was someone else, I know it.

I start walking around, leaving the three behind me to themselves, in search of that red flare, but I suddenly bumped into someone, "Oh, if it isn't Subaru…" Looking to my side, I met the one I had been searching for, "To think I'd see the sword saint twice in a month, must be some sort of miracle huh?" With a grin on his face, we shook hands.

"It's a surprise seeing you here… but since you showed up, I expect that you've joined with Emilia, the woman from before, yes?"  
"You got that right, speaking of the past… where's Felt? She owes me an apology, she in the changing room or something?"

"Hmm, well… she'll be here sooner or later"  
"Of course, this is because of her after all…"  
"You're quite perceptive, Subaru"  
"I get told that a lot…"

It doesn't take much to figure that out, Felt is part of this mess as well, being taken away by someone as important as him, she's gotta have some significance, besides, Reinhard only reacted after she'd shown that she had taken the insignia, "Nyaa~ so nyou two already met?" And in comes another one, little miss crossdresser, only, he's not a girl this time!

"Huh, didn't know you'd be on of the big shot knights, Ferris"  
"Did I surprise nyou?"  
"Nah, not really… just didn't expect you to be a knight of all things…"

Felix stood beside us, wearing what most of the people in the room were, knight uniforms, a good chunk of the rooms were filled with knights, the others would be classified as nobles and the remaining being the servants or guards of said nobles, I feel kinda misplaced being in this room.

"Ferri-chan is a knight indeed, Subaru-kyun, and Crusch-sama is going to win this election, no doubt about it, Ferri-chan will make sure of it"  
"Your getting a little high and mighty there, Ferris, who's to say that Emilia-san might win? I'll be sure to make her win"  
"Says the person who was stuck in the front gates a few moments ago, nyaa~"

"You saw me yet you didn't care to help at all!? What kind of knight are you?"  
"Nyaa~ it went well in the end, didn't it?"

Don't just say it ended well, the number of times I've heard that is enough to make my ears bleed. Just then, the door opened up, not super dramatically but it was enough to attract a few eyes to the scene, me, Ferris and the sword saint turned our eyes as well. "Seems he's arrived…" Reinhard says as gazes upon them.

I see Julius coming in, a woman and a few cloaked figures around her, so that's the last one, "Wait a minute… isn't she Anastasia Hoshin…" An uprising merchant, someone who's risen from poverty, she's pretty popular in Kararagi, even I know her, to think that she's running for the election as well.

"Subaru, I'm glad you were able to get in. I'm really sorry for leaving you behind, an urgent matter arose and I had to take care of it"

Julius approached the three of us with a sorry look, "Ah well, I managed to get in one way or another, so it went well in the end…" Wait, I just used that phrase didn't I? Damn you Ferris, now I sound hypocritical, "Still, it was a little careless of me not to tell you myself… I apologize sincerely…"

"Heh, alright…"

We heard someone clapping in the distance, probably to grab our attention, and so we turned to where the throne should be, some old geezer was standing at the top, several others were seated behind him, the Sage council, a bunch of people gathered for when the country is in time of need, said to be thought of by the original sage Flugel, bet the dude just didn't want to mess in with politics himself so he just had people do it.

"Ahem, it seems everyone is present… then, without further ado, let us start this gathering!"

Took a while, "Guess the four of us are up, huh?" "It seems so, nyaa~" With that, the four of us split off to our designated camps, I head over to Emilia, Ferris heads over to Crusch Karsten, Julius to the purple haired woman, Anastasia Hoshin, I'm really worried about her, the most likely to play dirty, is what comes to mind when I see her.

"Hey Reinhard, before we go up there, just wanted to let you know, Rom is waiting in the bar, he's conveniently tied himself up so you can pick him up for Felt"

"I see… then, I guess I'll bring him over to Felt once this is all done…"

"Candidates please step up with along with all your followers onto the stage… We'd like for the audience to keep their silence..." One by one, they all went up, Priscilla first, Crusch next, then Anastasia, and finally, it was us, but before we went up though, I crouched down and whispered to Beatrice, "Stay down here for now…" "As you wish, I suppose…"

Leaving Beatrice behind, me, Roswaal, and Emilia went up the stage, facing towards the crowd of white, the other candidates lining up alongside us. It was at this time that Emilia decided to take off her hood, revealing to the crowd her silvery hair and elven ears, and the crowd immediately loses their cool.

"That's the sound I wanna hear…"

The people of this world won't stand for this, to let someone that resembles the one that doomed their country that much to rule the country, no one in their right mind would let that happen, this is just the reaction I'd expected, and it's the one I'd be most comfortable with. I do recall the geezers asking for silence? I turn to him and it seems he's completely ignoring the crowd, how unfortunate, it seems even the sage council is biased about this.

"Excuse me!"

I shout out with the loudest voice I can muster, it shook the whole palace, everyone's attention was centered on me, "You were all asked for silence were you not? Please act as you should and stay silent, something important is happening you know…?" They were all suddenly silent after, none of them decided to trash talk, none of them decide to make small talk either, guess they aren't gutsy enough to make the move.

Either way, I managed to grab all the attention, it seems people are even more wary of us than before, something that'll be useful to us, we need to be the center of attention, "Ahem… I'm sure you are aware of why we've gathered you here today?" The old geezers asked the candidates that were on stage, it didn't seem like they cared much.

"Look yall, just cut to the chase, I'm a busy girl ya know?"  
"Indeed, time is not something we all have in excess…"

The other two, Emilia and Priscilla, agreed by simply nodding their heads, the man then walked forward to the crowd, "We have gathered you all here to make an announcement… The fifth royal candidate has been found!" His voice was rather weak but we were all able to hear it clearly for some strange reason, was he just that good at speaking?

"Reinhard-dono…"  
"She'll be here any mome-"

And the door suddenly opens, cutting Reinhard's sentence off. Everyone's heads turned over to the door as they watched a young girl enter into the fray. Blonde hair, an intricate yellow dress, black outlines, and red highlights, those were most definitely high-quality clothes, no doubt about it, if you met her for the first time, you'd instantly think she'd be someone related to royalty, but that isn't merely the case.

"Felt-sama…"

The girl, Felt, the one I met on that night, yes, the one that disrespected me as a person and stepped on my shoulder so she can get away with theft, she's wearing an expensive dress and is being escorted by two, by the looks of it, maids, why am I not the one in shiny gold? Don't I deserve something more than this?! What has she done that I haven't?

"Reinhard… you bastard! Dragging me around like that, and then just leavin me out there to wait! Just what kinda person are you!"

"I'm happy that you are as energetic as always, Felt-sama, but please do mind your voice, this is a rather important gathering, though you may be the center of attention, getting infamous would be unfortunate for your future…"

Glaring up at Reinhard she looks around the room, finally laying her eyes on us, "What's this supposed to be? Some sort of reunion?" She walks past us begrudgingly over to her designated area, which was to our left, it seems she was the last one to do whatever we had to do, and it didn't seem she was happy about it.

"Felt-sama is a girl originating from the slums, she has no family name, no blood-relatives, and I've chosen to revere to her as my king-"

"Blasphemy!"

And it begins… One of the men from the sage council burst up from his seat in utmost rage, I can see it in his eyes, things are going to escalate from here, "To think that the Astrea house would bring a brat from the slums! And what are you thinking Margrave! To not only bring a half-elf, but to sponsor her in the royal election as well! What are you all thinking!"

"Are you saying that we, the royal guards, have made a mistake in our decisions? Bordeaux-dono?" Marcos, the big hunky captain of the royal guards, stepped up on stage, eyeing the old geezers with rather large eyebrows, "It would seem so seeing that you not only brought a rat from the slums but also a devil from who knows where!"

"I'd rather you not call Felt-sama with such a heinous name…"  
"To think that there was someone like you in the sage's council…"

I mutter out, enough for him to hear, "What did you say?!" I turn head around and stared at him, my hands in my pockets, "I heard that these five were according to the dragon's covenant. If you're protesting against their candidacy, then surely, you're protesting against the dragon himself?" He shuddered, I've backed him into a corner.

"If you're not convinced, we can just show you that these five are indeed worthy to fight for the throne right here, right now… Emilia-sama…"

I threw the insignia towards Emilia, and she catches it, showing it to the crowd, "The red jewel in the middle glows to whoever is worthy… this makes me eligible to join, in fact, doesn't this mean I'm required to participate in order for the royal election to start? Since there must be five candidates?"

"If yer askin me, I'd rather not let her join in…"

Someone from across the stage voiced out, it's her, "Besides, there was that incident Farielle wasn't there?" And the bait has been tugged on, we have the one we're looking for, and I have a nice way to deal with her too. After she voiced out her opinion, everyone in the room seemed confused, of course, we haven't reported what had happened in Farielle, not just yet.

"Anastasia-sama, what may you be referring to?"

One of the sage men asked, she looked a little surprised, as if she expected them to know, "You're talking about that thing that happened in Farielle when Emilia-sama was visiting a few weeks ago, yes?" I asked directly to her, she merely side glanced at me, not wanting to look me in the eye, instead, looking towards the sage men.

"Indeed, would it not be suspicious for an attack to happen in such a flourishing city? Perhaps, it was staged so she could claim credit just before the election starts?"

"What?! What's the meaning of this!"

Just as expected, she's already been planning from the start, luckily we were prepared for this, "Could you please repeat yourself a second time? I didn't think I heard that properly…" Emilia stepped in, crossing her arms as she faced the merchant in white, narrowing her eyes down, "You said that I was going to claim credit for it?"

"Yep, that's what I said, indeed…"

"Hey, that's a little funny don't you think…" I barged in, she raised her eyebrows towards me as I frowned my mouth, "I don't recall Emilia ever doing anything there… She did nothing more than a sitting duck would..." "That is true, I was rather far away from the crime scene, I couldn't possibly have taken any credit, it was Subaru and Roswaal who resolved the situation after all…" A firm standpoint, making her look bad in the right way, actually, it isn't making her look bad, it just isn't making her look good, which is overall, a better deal.

"So yer sayin you didn't even move a finger when people were in trouble?"  
"Let me answer by asking you a question, what good is a king if they're dead?"

Emilia dropped the bomb, something I taught her, and it seems it paid off, Anastasia looks defeated but she didn't show it on her face, "I see, that does make sense…" It seems she was done, she could no longer lead the attack here, so she's going to back down, but we're not done yet, "Don't you think a false accusation is a dirty move to play in something as important as this?" I speak up before she had a chance to go down.

"What are ya tryin to say, now?"

"If you won't understand it then I'll have to put it in simpler terms… I'm accusing you of planning out that whole ordeal!"

Ofcourse, that was all some random statement I made in the spur of the moment, I know who the real one was behind this, besides, it's like Reinhard said to Felt, being infamous is unfortunate. I hear a sword unsheathing I was faced off against a man in white, purple hair flowing with the indoor, "I'm sorry but I'll have you take back you're earlier accusation…"

Julius stood between us, he was going to defend her through and through, just like the knight he is, "Julius, this is-" "I'm sorry, but I shall not allow any disgrace befall on Anastasia-sama, even if it means clashing right here right now, I will not back down…" He raises his blade higher into the air, pointing it at me, seems the nice-guy I met a few hours ago is no longer.

Tension rises in the room, and I tap my foot on the floor, "Hatred only arises to more hatred, that's the way the world works, if you think everyone's kind enough to not exact revenge, then you're highly mistaken about how the world works Julius… She started by accusing us, so it'd be natural for us to retort, you have no right to disagree, no?"

"Then I'll have to prove it myself, even if it means taking you on…"

And so… the situation escalated, what Julius said was basically a declaration for a spar, the winner gets to prove the other wrong, and so, I accepted, and we left the room.

.

"..."  
"..."

We were on our way to a practicing arena, while Julius had a stern look on his face, I was whistling away, not having a care in the world, "Aren't you taking this a little too lightly?" He asked me in a serious tone, the Julius from before is completely gone it seems, "Maybe… but this I knew this was going to happen one way or another, in fact, I was expecting this to happen…"

"Rather mighty of you to think that you could win against me… or do you plan on losing?"  
"Nope, besides, I just made that accusation on the spot, I knew she didn't really do it, heh"  
"Then why even bother accusing her of such a deed!"

"I told you didn't I? I expected this exact situation to arise… in other words, I've come here to spar with you, Julius. It might have been fitting to ask you personally, but this was too good opportunity not to miss, standing up in stage got me bored so I wanted to do something exciting…"

"Do you have no consideration for Emilia-sama?"  
"I do, I also have a lot of faith in the girl, she'll be fine without me…"

We head over to the battlefield, an enclosed arena, one that resembled a sort of mini-coliseum, "You know Julius, you have way to much hope for the people, I was sure you'd keep your cool there, even if Anastasia did plan out an assassination, people would instantly turn over to Emilia for falsely accusing her, that's just how the world works you know?"

"Even if the majority would think that way, there would still be the minority that would disregard the fact that Emilia-sama is a half-elf and make a justified conclusion, to those, I must defend Anastasia-sama from, even if it's one person, I won't allow it…"

"Look at you, mister knight, heh…"

We were both handed swords, wooden ones, seems using actual swords would get a bit heated, or so they thought, I'm sure it'd end in a second then, but using wooden swords makes this much easier for me, "Listen Julius, wanna make a bet?" Swinging his sword to his side, he glances towards me, "A bet?"

"If you win, you ask me anything you want, you want me to do something? I'll do it"  
"And in the case that you lose?"  
"You can ask me anything you want, you want me to do something? I'll do it"  
"Wait, but isn't that…"

"Exactly… but if we draw, then the deal is in my favor. Whatever the result of this battle is, I can alter it and it will be sent over to the throne room, the moment our match is over, you're not forbidden to say anything about the actual results of the battle, but that message must be sent to the throne room before you try to correct any misunderstandings… is that good with you?"

I raise my hands up to see if we have a deal, he stares at it intently, thinking about it all, "So you understand that you won't be able to beat me, and so you've put your bets on the fact that you could possibly end this in a draw by extending out our duration of the battle?" A put a grin on my face while giving him my open hand once more.

"I wonder where you got that idea from…"  
"Fine then, it's a deal…"

The perfect opponent, at first, it may look like I'm at a major disadvantage, since he can win by losing straight off, surrendering from a battle is a thing, but, a knight would never do such an absurd thing, so he'll try his best to win anyway, losing is not an option for him, but then, the same goes for me, winning is not an option, if I win, he gets to ask me anything, or have me do anything that can benefit him in some way, I can't allow that.

"So then, let the battle begin…!"

* * *

"I understand you all fear me for my uncanny resemblance to the witch of envy, but I must say it is rather rude of you to assume that I'm evil like her, in fact, I'm sick of it, would you like it if everyone you knew decided to scoff at you just because you looked like someone else? Do you think it's an enjoyable thing? Or do you all not have the heart to care about another's suffering?"

"Nonsense! Why should we listen to a ha-"  
"My daughter is talking… so I'd like for you to shut up, please!"

A man from the crowd tried to cut Emilia's sentence off but Puck, who had materialized and shown his presence a few minutes after Subaru had left, snapped at him, he quivered back into the crowd, hiding amongst the many faces, Emilia was given back the attention, "If I have to prove myself to you all, then I will do so! I'll destroy the witch cult, I'll do it all within the three-year span of the royal election, I won't leave a single one of them, and if I fail to do so, then, you may take my head, you can end me then and there!"

A strong and proud declaration by Emilia, she was completely serious, though those weren't exactly her ideals, they were going to help her achieve her goal, she just knows it somehow, "Onee-san is serious about this isn't she…" Felt commented from the sidelines, Reinhard nodded in agreement, "But, I'm sure Felt-sama can be even more serious than her…"

"Yeah right, you goddamn forced me into this thing!"  
"Please Felt-sama, lower your voice…"

"Darn you…"

"Next we have, Felt, a girl from the slums, and her knight, Reinhard van Astrea"

With the spotlight being given to the two, they step up, ready to give the audience their speech, "I don't really care about this country you know? But you know what I do hate?! All you guys! Nobles, Knights! All you guys looking down on us! I'll make sure you pay! I'll rebuild this country the way I like it! I'll tear down this palace, I'll tear down your houses, then I'll build it back all how I want it to be! Just you wait!"

"Reinhard-dono… your king is rather feisty…"  
"I hope you will all soon understand her vision as I do..."

And with that, the meeting had come to an end with Felt's quick and abrupt declaration of war with the country's noblemen, but of course, someone barged into the door to drag the tension out, "Anastasia-sama, Emilia-sama…" A man, a servant of the palace it seems, "I've come to speak of the results between Julius-dono and Subaru-dono…"

* * *

A/N

Yep, Al's got two hands here, cause his origin story is different from that of the original story… Also, was supposed to include Julius and Subaru's fight here, but this chapter was already running late, and I'm currently sick… if I postpone it any longer, we'd have to wait till February or something… so be excited for it I guess?

 **SisyphusWorker**

 **Lolicon and siscon? Dang, I have a feeling this Kararagian author got transported from contemporary Japan, I suppose!  
Also, got that reference when Subaru listed down the don'ts for Betty hahaha.**

Hummu, indeed, Kararagi is basically just a replica of Japan at this point... Also, you found the hidden reference that even I wasn't aware I made huh? :3  
(I seriously have no idea what it is, and i'm curious to know, so please do tell me what I accidentally referred to...)


	24. Arc 4: Chapter 5

**Uploading date: 2/26/2019 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 4: Beginning of the End**_

 **Chapter 5: For mine and For yours**

* * *

"Hiyaaah!"

The battle has only begun, three strikes have been let out, yet, it feels like it's about to end any moment now. Julius's swordplay is just too superior to my own, I was never even fit for a sword to begin with, even if these were only wooden swords...

"You seem to be getting a little tired, Subaru?"  
"Oh really? Well I think that's because my gate's been split in half, thank you very much"

The sword on my hand has its weight too focused on the blade, I can't maneuver it like I would a dagger, and changing its orientation is also out of the question, right now, my only option would be to play it with brute force, but still, our level in skill would clearly wipe me out. But there is another way to battle…

"Standing still, how thoughtful of you!"

He lets out another strike, overhead, an obvious and readable strike, he's gotten soft on me. I grab my sword with both my hands and brought it up to block, the flat side facing Julius's blunt edge, and the moment they collided, I got my chance. The swords bounced off each other, Julius recoiled back a little bit, leaving me with my one and only opening.

"Die…!"

Before I move, I let out a pressurizing aura of bloodlust, basically informing him that 'if you don't block this next strike, it's over for you' and he reacted accordingly. Not backing down, he brought his sword down for a strike, it seems he's putting his all in this one, and so will I.

I grab the hilt of my sword and aim towards the incoming strike, putting all my strength into this one strike, I swing the blade, and they clashed head-on, full-force.

"Kh-"

I can feel the strain on the blade getting enormous by the second, I can already hear creaking, in a few more moments, just a few more moments, it's not long now…

Snap, we heard the sound, "It seems… I've lost…" Getting back on his feet, Julius retracted his blade, and I do the same, "Ah, looks like I lose as well, heh… what a coincidence..." And in the next moment, our swords snapped in half, the sheer force at which they impacted at was simply too much for them, and with that, the match is drawn.

"I trust that you'll uphold your end of the deal?"  
"I wouldn't be a knight if I didn't… regrettably"

And according to the deal, a draw will be in my favor, the events of this battle, I can compromise them, twist them to my liking, maybe even bullshit the results and just say that I win, but let's spare Julius of that, besides, unwanted attention is unwanted after all. "The match had ended in a draw, both participants are at a condition where they both need immediate medical attention, and thus, have left the arena, that's all…"

Dropping my own broken sword on the ground, I turn around, heading for the door, "Don't you think your not taking enough of an advantage? I was expecting the worst possible outcome so I'm rather… I don't know if disappointed is the word but…" Julius drops his sword as well, nodding to the attendant that was to monitor our match.

"All I need is to change up the results so that it's alarming enough to stop the meeting and get Emilia-san out of that hell, once that's accomplished then my job here is done… Beatrice, you ready? We're leaving…"

A rift opened in front of me as I say that and from the other side I can see Beatrice peeking out, "One step ahead of you, I suppose, let's go already…" It seems she's already in the Karsten estate, she really didn't want to be in there now, did she? "Well then, be seeing you later Julius, maybe we can have a real duel next time, heh"

Entering into the rift in the air, I wave my goodbye to Julius, leaving him alone in the arena to contemplate on the events that have just occurred, "A troublesome man you are, Natsuki Subaru… I'll have to keep my guard up next time…" Facing towards the exit, Julius sighs.

* * *

"Haah… so, how did Emilia's speech go?"  
"Betty left before anything of the sort could happen, I suppose"  
"You were more useless than a log it seems…"

We entered through the doors of the mansion and we could see Ram waiting in the distance, "Barusu has returned rather quickly, perhaps my day is getting worse by the moment" Greeting us in her iconic sassy attitude, she bows, "Hello to you too Nee-san, Emilia-san should be coming back soon, we went ahead and got back here since we didn't have anything left to do…"

"So you're slacking on your job?"  
"Which part of nothing left did you mishear?"  
"If you have no use, make yourself useful, isn't that what I taught you?"

"I'm sorry but I don't recall you teaching me anything besides 'do my job' back in my butler days… in fact, I've spent so much time with you, I'm surprised I haven't learned anything..." Ram glared at me while tapping her foot on the ground irritatedly, "Perhaps you weren't paying attention when I lectured you on how to properly wipe the table?"

"Of course I couldn't pay attention, all I could really focus on was the floor and your feet as you told me to mop the floor relentlessly, the thought of taking a peek up surfaced my mind once just to spite you…"

"You didn't, of course, you didn't right? Would Barusu have such guts? No, would you have been such a terrible person that you'd do that? This is serious, answer the question Barusu! No, I'm the idiot for not distancing myself from this man, I'll have to end you right here right now, for my pride and my sister!"

"It's a joke, a joke! Can't you take a joke?!"

I grab her hands as she tries to claw at me, her face full of hatred and scorn, please take the joke already! "Betty shall be leaving you to your shenanigans then…" "Oi! Help out your contractor for once would you!" Not heeding my call, she zips behind the corner, out of sight, just how useless can you get!

"Subaru-dono, you've returned rather quickly"

I can hear the old man from the corner of my ear, and was slightly relieved, "Ghu…" Releasing each other from our hand lock, we created a bit of distance between ourselves, Wilhelm turned to me with a bow, "Well, some complications arose and I had to spar with a rather handsome knight due to our... differing opinions, in the end, I managed to end the meeting early"

"It seems you can't even do your job properly, as expected of a Barusu"  
"Hey, that was my job you know!?"  
"Are political enemies really what Emilia-sama needs right now?"

"Just trust me on this, I have everything under control, besides, when's the last time you've ever read about politics? Oh yeah, you don't read books in your free time so you wouldn't know"

"I've learned enough from watching Roswaal-sama to know that this is not the best course of action"  
"Well, I've learned enough to know that it is, who's the guy who saved you all three times? Me, so I'd like it if you'd have a little more faith please"

"Kh- a sound argument…"

"Thank you very much"

With an annoyed Ram turning the corner to wash off her frustration elsewhere, I was left with the old man alone, but it was short lived as he had things to do as well, so we parted ways, and there I was alone, with nothing to do, "I'd like someone to talk to… but there's no one…"

.

I head outside, basking in the breeze on my own, "Okay, recap time, Anastasia is targeting us for obvious reasons, we've mostly distinguished the problem but she may take another shot at it, so we'll tread carefully. Julius seemed cool about the fight so I hope there are no grudges or anything, I don't really want to make the greatest knight our enemy… and the most important bit, Crusch Karsten…"

I look around the lawn, no one was there, but I'm definitely sure people are supposed to keep watch on me, you can't have a member of a rivaling camp run loose in your territory, that's just idiotic, "She also showed us to our rooms herself, you'd expect that to be the job of a servant, not the head of the house, even Emilia-san had Ram show me to my room, and you can't get any kinder than Emilia-san"

"If it isn't an act of kindness, it was an act of caution, wasn't it…"  
"Indeed… well, you came running back. What happened, Ram"

From behind me, Ram approached, it's only been a few minutes since she's parted but she's already back again for more, "It's as you say, we're being watched, servants all around the mansion have been taking turns confirming your position, peeking through the window, around the corners and the like"

"So I was right"  
"Well, you're also an idiot for saying it aloud"

"Ah, that's my bad… so, what else did you find with your clairvoyance?"

Although I asked a question, she didn't reply, instead, she turned around leaving, as if expecting I'd understand what that'd mean. Someone must be looking, she's more perceptive than me it seems, incredible, as expecting of Nee-san.

I follow behind her closely into the mansion, and we take a rather diverted route over to her room, I think it's her room anyway, could be just an empty room that no one was using, I can't remember which one was ours, "Now that I think about it, you've all been to my room, but i've never been to any of yours…"

"Don't worry, this isn't my room"  
"I knew it…"

But wouldn't it be better if we were in our own rooms though? "Unless…" While she sat on the table, dusting off her maid outfit, I walk over to the closed curtain, moving it aside so I can take a little peek, "..." I see carriages, and tons of them coming from the back, was this what she didn't want us to see? Perhaps.

"There are many things inside, iron armor, weapons of all kinds, and they've also brought in large amounts of ground dragons, there seems to be a sense of variation between them all so they're probably going to be used in flat grassy ground…"

"If they were going to suit up for a battle, what scale does it seem like it'd be…"

"Not enough for a full-scale war, and it's too equipment for a restock, since they have ground dragons, their opponent is most likely a large mobile creature of sorts, I've also managed to spot a few magic canons, so their enemy is likely large in numbers, or large in size… And seeing that they brought in men as well, they're going to move very soon, having to feed that many men is going to be rather expensive, even for the dutchess"

So it seems they're going to take the initiative, lead the royal election with a surprise attack, "Going by her history of military achievements, she may be aiming on finishing off the Great rabbit, she's repelled them a few years ago, or maybe she's going to try and pin down the White whale, there wouldn't be any merit in doing anything but that…"

"So, what do we do about it?"

"To be honest… there isn't really anything we can do, taking the Great rabbit is one thing, those simple minded creatures can't even think for themselves, just starved beasts that will devour anything in their path, but the White whale is a different story, if they think they can win fighting it with this amount of troops, well, their digging their own grave…"

"You sure do know alot about Witches and the like, don't you?"  
"Well, I was born in one of their communities, so it's as you'd expect…"

That being said, trying to stop them is futile, at this rate their going to die a gruesome death, well, might as well let them be, "Guess we better get going then, Emilia-san and Roswaal should arrive in a bit…" Agreeing with me, we left the room before anyone could find us, it would be bad if that was the case.

.

"Hey Emilia-san, did everything end well while I was gone?"  
"Subaru… so you're alright, I'm relieved"

"Hey, did you think that I'd lose? I feel a little depressed now, have a little faith would ya…" Feels like people are not taking me as seriously as they're supposed to, even after I saved yall time and time again, where's the respect I deserve! "Anyway… how did it go?" I ask while straightening my body from it's slumping position.

"Yeah, I think I did pretty well, don't you think Puck"  
"Yes, you did really where Lia, I made sure everyone else thought so too!"

"Oh no, I can already feel the shivers coming out"

I almost feel bad for those that had the guts to stand up against Puck, but they got what they wanted, so guess nothing to do about that, "So, what are our plans for the future?" I ask the two, we've put a lot of thought into this meeting that we haven't properly thought about how we're going to win this, and now that I think about it, how the hell are we gonna win this!

"Emilia-sama and I shall~ return to the mansion tomorrow, preparations have already been made for our next move…"  
"As for Subaru, you're going to have to stay here so Ferris can monitor your gate, we'll be leaving Ram to accompany you"

I can feel Ram's scornful gaze upon my back, this isn't going to end well now is it, "I'll be fine alone don't you think? Besides, Beatrice will be staying as well, I don't see the need for Ram to be with me…" "Indeed, Barusu may be useless but he isn't a child, he can at least take care of himself, also, I abhor the fact of babysitting a grown man"

"Rude, she said you'd be accompanying me, not babysitting"

"Fret not~ Subaru-kun, that's not her only reason for staying back. Our~ negotiations with Crusch-sama has been held to a standstill, all the necessary requirements for~ an alliance are set, she just needs a little 'push' to get her to going… I'm that if you ever think of something, you could close the deal, you're Emilia-sama's representative here, so anything you says, goes…"

"I see…"

"I've given Ram all the details that you'd need, please consult it with her~ once you have thought of something"

I turn over to Ram and she gives me a confirming nod, good, it seems the next plan has been set. After settling a few other things the day passes by just as fast as my match with Julius ended, it was a rather quick day wasn't it?

.

"Hmm, seems like my next partner in crime shall be Ram Nee-san this time around…"  
"What do you mean by 'partner in crime' Barusu… no, what do you mean by, 'this time around'..."

Giving me a questioning stare while crossing her legs, she's definitely annoyed by the looks of it, well, is there anything she isn't annoyed by?"Glad you asked" I chimed, "I know something bads gonna happen soon, that's just how fate is with me… it's been that way since I was little, and since you're here, you're going to have to overcome these hard times with me. Last time, I went with Rem, before that with Beatrice, and before that, Emilia-san, and you're next on the line, your turn was bound to happen sooner or later…"

"As if I'd play along, go solve your own problems yourself, and please die while our at it, damned womanizer"  
"Well excuse me! Please refrain from describing me with such vulgar words, makes me sound like some harem protagonist…"

The afternoon sun was sinking down, orange hues streaking down, we were talking outside while having something to eat, "So, what exactly happened with the negotiations? Being left out of things was a little annoying, but I guess things go the way they go…" "Not much different from what Roswaal-sama told you, the conditions are as follows, the formation of the alliance between the Crusch and Emilia camps, the Crusch camp will provide their support while the Emilia camp will share their rights to the Elior forest mining sites"

Simple enough, seems their on the receiving end on this deal but that's to be expected, we underdogs have our own ways of doing things, "As for why she hasn't already accepted the terms…" "She knows we need this so she's going to make sure to get the most out of this deal, there's no rush for her, we won't back out so she doesn't need to worry" We don't have a good start at all, but, it's not impossible.

"Perhaps we could somehow use what we've learned about them today as a bargaining chip?" Ram voiced out, another possibility, probably our own possibility, "But as of right now, it would do us no good, it'd make use look aggressive, we won't be able to gain their trust that easily you know?"

"Then, what do you propose we do?"  
"In time, it will come… in time, Ram…"

She turns her head away, watching as the sun finally dipped by the horizon, the sky then turning dark, revealing the many clusters of stars it once hid...

* * *

A/N

Okay, let's get this over with. University applications + Mock exams + Natural laziness = an unusual hiatus. If i don't get another chapter out by next week, you can assume I'll be inactive till mid-march, sorry and thanks for sticking around~

Hopefully the next chapter would be more satisfying...

 **Basscuss**

 **YES YES YES YES YEEE~S! And so let the games begin!**

 **On the right side, we have Julius and on the other side, we have Subaru!**

 **Finally some action! The way Subaru antagonized Anastasia which then leads to him fighting Julius was GREAT! Really surprised how you pulled it off. Waiting for the next chapter!**

Thanks! I put a lot of thought on how it would go down. I understand if you think the fight is boring though...


	25. Arc 4: Interlude 1

**Uploading date: 4/1/2019 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 4: Beginning of the End**_

 **Interlude 1: The man garbed in black**

* * *

Crusch Karsten, an esteemed woman of both nobility and war, active in both the battlefield and in political affairs, such a person is destined to be a leading candidate the royal election, but even then, there is no guarantee that she'll pass with just sheer popularity, she herself won't accept the throne just like that, to prove herself, that is what she must do, and that is what she is going to do.

"Ferris, how are the preparations coming?"  
"Nya~ They're going well, Crusch-sama…"

She steps out to the backside of her mansion and what greeted her was an array of carriages, some larger than others, some longer, but one thing was common between all of them, they were filled to the brim, armor, weapons, food, water, this was definitely some large scale preparations they were making.

"At this rate, we'll be able to leave in a few days… we'll wait to see if conditions are favorable and if anyone else is making a move…"  
"Really? Ferri-chan thinks it's best to strike while the iron's hot, nyo?"

"That would be for the best, we won't be able to sustain this many men if we delay it for too long, but still Ferris, I'm getting an eerie feeling that I should wait a little bit before heading off…"

"Nhh, if it's Crusch-sama then nothing can be said, nya~~"

The cargo was being unpacked one by one, it was bustling and busy but it wouldn't bother the residents of the mansion, especially the ones staying all the way in the opposite side of where they were, she put them there deliberately so she wouldn't be found out, she wants to keep this as secretive as possible.

"Crusch-sama…"  
"Hmm?"

A servant of the mansion approached Crusch and bowed down, "Did something happen? Perhaps something to report about 'him'?" She straightened herself and gave a firm nod, Ferris looked over to her, and then to Crusch, "Subaru-kyun?"

"I just don't like the feeling that man has around him Ferris... no, it's more simpler than that, I just can't read him. I can't ascertain the nature of his intent, it's like you Ferris, but on a whole other level. For some reason, the wind doesn't react to his actions at all…"

"If even Crusch-sama is intimidated then he truly must be something, nya… even Julius was forced to draw his match with him…"

Indeed, the battle between Subaru and Julius that had ended in a draw had baffled everyone, to think that the knight of knights could have met an enemy that formidable, but it's even worse than that, "To be able to draw against Julius without even leaving a scratch on either of them… Subaru-kyun is one of a kind, a pacifist speedrunner…"

Crusch tilted her head, not quite understanding that last bit of his sentence, but that's how Ferris is always like so she didn't think much of it, "So, you had something to report?" She shortly came back to the servant, "It seems Subaru-dono has caught wind of something, although it's not clear what he knows, we can be certain he is suspicious around the mansion..."

"Has he taken any action? Has he reported to Emilia or Roswaal-dono about it?"  
"No, he is keeping it to himself, he has not made any moves and is simply acting normally…"

"I see… perhaps he also knows we are watching…"  
"That is highly likely, Crusch-sama… also, I'm also wary about the other maid…"

"...Keep an eye on them for a little longer, once Emilia and Roswaal leave, we'll make our move, it'd be too late for them to do anything then…"

"As you wish, Crusch-sama…" The servant bowed once more and turn around to leave.

"Hmm… huh?" As the servant left, for a brief moment, just for a fraction of a second, Crusch saw a red gleam coming from the side of her eyes, "What was that?" She jerked her head to the right, the only thing she saw was Ferris, nothing else, "Crusch-sama?"

"...Nothing, must have been seeing things… anyway, let's go, we have to prepare for when they leave…"  
"Of course, nyaa~"

They turned around to see the preparations once more before heading inside. Crusch breathed out a sigh as Ferris turned the doorknob to let the two in.

.

"And… they're gone…"  
"Pfft, they're really careless aren't they?"

Subaru said in a carefree voice as he snickers. Ram, who was opposite opposed to him rolls her eyes, annoyed, "To think Emilia-sama is making an alliance with someone like this… perhaps we should just call it off" She kicked her legs in the air as she sat on the bed, giving her thoughts away to Subaru.

"Nah, even if she's like that, we still need her standing, if it weren't for that, we should just dump her already"

"Though, what are we going to do about this? They know that we know, and we know that they know that we know… quite the tongue twister, but this information is incomplete, their preparing for something, but what exactly are they preparing for?"

A good question Ram called out, and Subaru turns towards her with a smile on his face, "It's not about what Nee-san, it's about why… Why are they preparing for this? Rather, why are they preparing it in secret? We don't need to know what they're preparing for, it's obvious it's something for the royal election, the thing is why she hasn't revealed anything about it?"

"And why is that?"

"Well, it's not a very tricky situation you see… there are the heroes, and there are the followers of the heroes. By completing whatever they are going to do with all that preparation, they'll become heroes, and us as we are right now, are going to be dubbed, the followers of the heroes. It's a saying that one who comes to those who succeed becomes their followers, you get my flow?"

"Meaning, they're postponing the alliance so this takes into effect? So that Emilia-sama would have lower standings within the alliance itself?"

"Bingo, Ram Nee-san catches on quickly…"  
"To think that Barusu had the capability to think like this, perhaps Ram really should re-evaluate her view on you"

"You really should, I have more authority after all, heh"  
"No, I think I'll look at you the way I've always have, disgusting and vile"

Disgusting and vile would be far too vivid for Subaru, for a man like him, there exists better words, "I'd rather you describe me as… cunning and dark, the man dressed in black, a man of the shadows, the eyes behind the fog, or something along those lines, you know, something more fitting for a person of my status"

"No, I think a lecherous leech would describe you perfect"  
"Okay, now that just hurts me to the bone…"

* * *

A/N

Hmm, was thinking of how to start the next chapter, once I couldn't think of anything else, I decided, perhaps changing the perspective will help smooth things over, and so it did. I already planned on making this interlude, but a little later, guess a little rearranging won't hurt…

Been focusing on Warlock a lot so I think I'll do some balancing now. Also, Happy birthday to our best boy Subaru!

 **Spookysharma**

 **Well, a hiatus every now and then is good if it helps you to do something productive and this sentence holds for you very well. You have never failed to deliver an intense chapter full of action and drama. The only thing "I"(emphasis) am missing is some romantic moments Between the characters. I am a huge fan of Ram and I was thinking maybe...maybe finally I would get to see Subaru romancing Ram but then he calls her Nee-Sama. But it's your story and your rules. And playing by your rules, you have been doing great, if not to near-perfection.**

Thanks for understanding, and sadly, I won't be doing any romance here... to be more exact, Subaru won't be responding to romance, it's for the main reason of his travels, which I have yet to reveal, he can't afford to do anything romancy when he's got his goal in mind. Not saying no one has feelings or the like for him.

As for Ram Onee-sama, I am planning on making a "Re: Shorts" _(Looks into the crowd, you there MNR? Hmm…maybe I should wait a little longer...)_ Uh, yeah not that, it's not mine to make. I'm making a collection of one-shots that I've been writing for the past month so I wouldn't get rusty while on hiatus, stories include, "Edgelord Subaru talking about Love with Echidna", "Rem beating the shit out of Garf for Nee-sama reasons", "Rui-chan being a lonely little girl", and "Ram-senpai trying to get through Barusu's dense skull (Rem and Emilia not included)"

The last one might strike your fancy. They're all relatively short, around 500 to 1500 words, and if I ever think of a short continuation, I'll probably post it if I have the time. As of right now, I'm still compiling them all.


	26. Arc 4: Chapter 6

**Uploading date: 7/26/2019 [M/D/Y]**

 _ **Re: Life in a fantasy world ~ Arc 4: Beginning of the End**_

 **Chapter 6: The spark that lights the fire**

* * *

"..."

"..."

It was early in the morning, Emilia-san and Roswaal had already left back to the mansion a few days ago, which left the three of us, me, Ram, and Beatrice to ourselves in the Karsten estate. The three of us sat around a coffee table, looking at each other, truly this is the most has become the most fearful outcome of all that's possible.

"To think that outside the doors of the library would be this uneventful, I suppose…"  
"Please don't take this as an example, the outside is a much better place usually, Beatrice"

"No, for a person like Beatrice-sama, wherever you'd go, it would be the same as it is here… I don't mean this us an insult but you have the appearance of a small child, yet your age prevents you from going and partaking in activities with other youths, and even then, your body isn't fit for any work that is meant for adults, in a way, you've reached a stalemate where you're doomed for boredom wherever you go…"

"True, who knew being a lolified spirit could be this troublesome…"  
"Saying it in such irritates Betty, I suppose, please word it differently next time..."

"Sorry but you're feelings of irritation is no match for my boredom, anyway, this is gonna take forever… you guys want to ditch this place and make a round through the capital?"

The two glanced at me for a second before turning their heads back to the coffee table, sighing as they do so "Okay now you guys are just plain lazy… guess I'll drag you guys out..." And with that Ram shoots her head up to me and says, "Touching a lady is off-limits Barusu, just how much more vulgar can you get?"

"Beatrice is my contracted spirit so I can do anything I want to her, and you're a maid, you're supposed to let me touch you"  
"I'm being defiled in your mind as we speak, I feel my dignity being stripped away from me, please forgive me, Rem, I am no longer a-"

"Now you're just taking it too far, I suppose. Enough joking around, Betty demands you to take her outside I suppose"

Well look who's enthusiastic all of a sudden, "Okay then, let's go, got a store owner I wanna say hi to" I got up and walked over to the door, Ram as well, but before we proceed any further we heard a huff from behind us, "Uhh, aren't you coming?" Beatrice was still on her seat, looking towards us with a fed-up sort of look.

"Betty is tired, I suppose, you'll have to carry me"  
"Do I look like Riger to you?"

"Hm? What's a Riger, I suppose?" So she hasn't heard of those before? Well, it's a Kararagian native so I should be surprised if she does know about it, "Hah, whatever, let me carry you then…" I say as I walk towards her couch, she raises her hands up, expecting me to bring my arms in to clutch her, though I stop midway and looked at her, "...?" "She looks a lot like a cat right now…"

"Barusu, you're creepy indecent thoughts are spilling out, please keep them to yourself"  
"Eh really? Sorry about that… anyway, come on"

"On second thought, Betty shall walk on her own, I suppose"

With that, she got off the couch and ran towards the door, keeping her distance from me, "Eh, well that makes things easier for me I guess" Me and Ram follow her closely behind as we exit through the same door.

.

We go out and take in a deep breath of fresh air, or at least I did, the others just looked around lazily, "Come on you guys…" Looking at them like this, makes me a little sad, I did kinda wrap them up in this sort of situation, so I can't blame them for acting bored and all. "Ah, you know what, let's go and check on how the whole cities doing"

"What? Do you think Betty cares about the current state affairs, I suppose? Besides, what am I supposed to draw from that, I've only been out for a month, and you expect me to do all these things"

"Don't worry about it, it's not something big like that, it's much more simple…"

"Barusu is proposing that we see what effect Emilia-sama's revelation has done to the mentality of the capital, to beat your enemy is to know them, or is it knowing is half the battle?"

"It's both of them, Nee-san. And if we look close enough, we may even be able to peek in and see if they're any people trying stuff" Scouting them from the shadows, like a crocodile in swampy water, that's how we're gonna play it, "I suppose… but Bubby showed himself during the whole ordeal, so wouldn't it be highly unlikely that we'd find anyone like that, I suppose?"

"True, true, but we're not looking for those guys, we're looking for bigger fish to fry"  
"And what might that be, Barusu?"

"Witch cult…"

Yes, the witch-cult, the only people crazy enough to go for us, given that Emilia has a great spirit at her disposal, they'll go through any lengths to do the deeds they do, and so with that, right now is the perfect time to go and get them, those bastards will come running out like a swarm of flies to rotten meat.

"It seems that you've already thought about everything through, I suppose"  
"Not really, just thought about it on the spot"  
"Something like that isn't something you think on the spot, I suppose!"

"Well there's no use waiting around here then, the longer we idle around, the lesser of a chance we'll get at nabbing out any from the crowd…" Ram told us, and I completely agree with her, "So, lead the way, Nee-san" And with that, she took off towards the direction of the gate, big and sturdy it has always been, but…

"Subaru…"  
"Oho, surprise seeing you here, Reinhard"

I see that fiery red hair flowing by, seriously, I couldn't miss it even if I tried, though, I did miss it once during the gathering at the palace, "What brings you over?" He walks through the gate to come inside, and brought his hand out for a greeting, "It's just I was a little worried about the matters that happened a few days ago, I wasn't able to really find out what was happening since Felt-sama had requested for my aid, but I'd like to know, is everything okay between Julius and you?"

"Ah yes, that did happen didn't it?"

I do recall Ferris telling me about Reinhard being dragged out by Felt and whatever, must be something to do with Rom, I did tell him that, so he wouldn't have known the truth to our battle, a little bad but such a small thing wouldn't hurt. "Is it really something you should forget so easily, I suppose?"

"Quiet Beatrice, I'm was trying to do my monologue"  
"Trying to do a what now?"

"Nevermind, not in the mood anymore…" I look back to Reinhard and gave him a smile, "It's alright, it didn't escalate into anything serious and we were not 'that' badly injured, we're basically back to buddies now, actually, I hope we are? It'd be real bad if he still holds a grudge on that, okay, should I be worrying now…"

"If you've already reconciled, then all should be well, Julius isn't the kind to keep grudges, I've known him well enough for that…"

Really now? Well, that's good to know.

"Hmm, that's all I was really about, so without further ado, I have urgent business to attend to with Felt-sama, I do hope you all have a good day, and may the best candidate win the election"

"Right back at 'cha sword saint, thanks for the concern, even though you were busy and all"

We waved him off as he turned back and disappeared in the blink of an eye, ah, it didn't really matter whether he was busy or not did it? He could've just zoomed past everything and be where he needed to be in an instant, "Haah… well then, guys, let's go prepare ourselves for a hunt!"

* * *

Though I said we'd be on the look out for some aggressive activity, the whole place really is just one barn filled with noisy animals. All we heard was chit chat and whatnot, there's the occasional insult and some worrisome comments, but other than that, nothing of the extreme, where's that damned cult when you need them, "Oh, Nii-chan, been wondering when you'd show up"

"Ahh, if it isn't the sweet sound of Kadomon the Appa man, what's up, been a long- wait no, it's only been a few days, hasn't it?"

The hunky man with green hair had shown himself from the crowd, a little girl holding his hands, "Ah, hello to you too Plum-chan" the little one smiled as we both waved together as a greeting, "So, you were expecting me?" "Of course I was, with all the uproar you've caused, it's surprising if I didn't… also, you've brought another friend?"

"Her name's Ram, she's my colleague, Ram, this is Kadomon, friend of mine"  
"Pleasure to meet you…"

She bows down respectfully with her greeting, "Ah, nice to meet you too" After their done with their introductions, we go back to just the two of us, "So, care to explain why I've been left out of the blue here? Took me by surprise hearing you're a big shot all of a sudden you know?" He said in a surprised tone while grabbing my shoulder, "Sorry, was meaning to tell you in person but some things happened ya know?"

"I see… But you sure you gonna be fine…?"

He glanced at me, with a face of worry, "You're a real cautious guy so it felt weird for you to side with that one, you do know what you're putting yourself into right?" I brush it off with a chuckle and replied, "It's alright, I know better than anyone else that I'll be throwing myself into hell, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do right?"

"Heh, guess so, well then, why not bring her over for a bit, help a guy out ya?"

He says while flashing me a mischievous grin, "I'll try but I can't promise anything you hear?" This guy, all he thinks about is his business, well, he wouldn't be able to sustain his family if he didn't, it's a noble deed, if it weren't for the fact that his wife makes more money than him, now I just feel like he's trying to protect his pride as a husband, I still respect that…

"I'll be rootin for ya, so go get em"  
"Alright, see you round Kadomon, let's go Beatrice, Ram…"  
"Ji-chan, bye-bye!"

"See you round too Plum-chan"

And with that we move out, plunging straight into the crowd, "Wouldn't it have been better to bring that girl along, I suppose. Wouldn't hearing something like that serve as a boost to her confidence or something?" True as that is, what's gone is now gone, Emilia's already back at the mansion so there's nothing we can do about it, "The past is the past and the present is now, Emilia-san is not here so we'll just have to pass on that"

I had the urge to make that rhyme, but I knew these guys would hate me for it, I just know it, "So, is there any other people you have to meet Barusu?" That's a good question indeed, but sadly, my answer would have to be, "Nope, haven't met anyone of significance that I have to see right now, so we'll have some time to do whatever we want"

"I see, then, Ram shall be going on her own for a bit…"  
"Oi, don't be like that Nee-san"

She hastily leaves us behind just like that, no wonder she sucks at babysitting so much, "Nee-san, wait up!" As she hurries out on her own, the two of us try our best to follow her.

* * *

We went here and there and everywhere, but nothing of interest as usual, at times like these, I wish someone would be out to kill me, but I'm not gonna go and test out my luck like that, "So Nee-san, where we going to eat?" "Preferably somewhere cheap enough for you to treat me" You do realise you're the one with more money right?

"Then, Beatrice, please do the honors and pick a restaurant for us to dine in"  
"Absolutely not, I suppose, such things are meant to be left to the ones familiar with the area"  
"So, you're afraid we'd judge you're tastes, I understand, then I'll pick"

"Gh- I could care less about what the two of you think, I suppose!"

With the spirit wailing out a response like that, I scanned the area, there doesn't seem to be much around that I know of from Kararagi, then again, I doubt they'd branch all the way over to Lugnica, our cuisine isn't very popular with the people here, contrary to what Emilia and the others think, "Oh, that looks pretty good don't you guys think?"

A point over to a pretty average looking place, decently filled but not so much that it'd be crowded, "Such a bland store, but if Barusu is paying then I guess it shall do" Again, you're the one with all the money Nee-san! Please don't cling onto me for your economical needs! But anyway, with all that said and done, we enter into the not so shabby store.

"Hey, this place isn't half bad, they even have air conditioning…"  
"To have such level of technology, perhaps we should switch stores for the sake of your wallet, Barusu"  
"Nee-san, just so you know, I left my wallet back in my room so the foods on you"

"Then, let's go back and get it"  
"As if! Why can't you just pay for your former kouhai!"

"That's enough bickering, I suppose"

With me and Ram stopping with our shenanigans, we take to a seat near the center of the store and waited for someone to get us some sort of menu, and so we waited. "..." Oh, and while we were doing that, I got a very weird feeling, like someones watching me, "Hey, do you guys feel like there are people gazing at you?"

I whispered over to the two, but they simply shook their heads, am I crazy, "Perhaps a person has sworn vengeance on you and has come to finally take your head" "Impossible, I've already dealt with everyone like that, it'd be just nonsense if one of them decided to just come back to life and haunt me" Saying that, Beatrice looked at me with a shocked expression and replied, "Are you secretly some kind of Mafia boss or something, I suppose!?"

A mafia boss huh? That'd be a pretty cool idea, but we have no time for such stuff, speaking of stuff, everyone around really is looking at me and it's creeping me out! "Could your head be thicker than it already is? Haven't we already established your popularity with Emilia-sama's revelation?"

"I get that… but the kinda stares I'm getting give me a different vibe…"

Now that I'm noticing it, everyone's wearing the same clothes aren't they? White cloaks with orange accents, their obviously part of some group, "Did we perhaps, barge into their reservation…?" I really don't wanna do something like that, it'd be annoying and could get us into trouble, "A reservation is the first thing that comes to mind, I suppose? Wouldn't something like an assassination be more appropriate?"

"It would be if it weren't for the fact that we came in after them, Beatrice…"  
"If anything happens, I'm pinning the blame on you Barusu, also, prepare yourself as a meat shield"  
"Me? Why me?"  
"Who else chose this store?"  
"But you asked me to choose!"

As our shenanigans start to resurface once more, I heard a sigh coming from behind me, a familiar sigh, well not the sigh but the voice was familiar, "You seem rather lax for the current happenings, I'm rather surprised, Subaru…" "Ah! Never thought I'd see you here of all places, Julius!" The purple haired man beauty stood behind me, with what I can only can an off duty knight uniform, then that'd mean.

"Oh, and there's Anastasia-san over there too, hello there. So all these guys must be yours, got me worried there for a second"

A look of confliction arose on her face as she replies to me, "Repeatin what Julius said, ain'tcha a bit lax round here?" Perhaps I was but after finding out it was Anastasia who was the cause of all the worry, kinda dispelled it all, "Even if all of these guys were your henchmen, it's not like you could do anything to me after what happened at the royal palace, I guess I have some sort of grace period you can say…"

By making it seem like she's targeting the Emilia camp by unfairly setting things up, she's basically on a playing field where anything that happens to Emilia can be indirectly linked to her, making it in her favor if nothing were to happen to us, mind games like these, they twist and turn the tides of the battle to our side, "Pretty sinister you are, ya know?"

"I was going to use it on someone like Priscilla but you came in and took the bait so there was no choice for me now was there? Ah but I'm pretty curious, we tried our best to keep everything in the shadows, how did you manage to sniff something out like that all of a sudden?"

"Maybe if ya knew who you were fightin, then you'd understand how simple it was. A man who's pretty big in the merchant world suddenly went missing, so I tried ta dig into to it and found out about your whole affair at Fareille…"

"So that's how they hide themselves in plain sight… anyway, who was he? I wonder if I know him"  
"Pretty demandin ain'tcha? Well wouldn't hurt telling ya, Tau Epsilon was the gentleman's name"

"Tau… wait, isn't he the guy under Menkalin? What was he again, his lackey? No, no, I think it was more like a personal assistant or something… anyway, that guy's the big shot? Could've sworn he was like a hired servant of sorts…"

"He takes on many jobs, Natsuki-kun, do you happen to know what had become of him?"  
"As far as I know, didn't really see him past that nig-"  
"That man's already long dead, I suppose"

"Dead… you say?"

"Dead as in not alive anymore, gone from the world, passed away, phrase it any way you want, in fact"

Beatrice said that with a face of indifference, a cold hearted person you are, Beatrice-san, "Taking away someones life away, Beatrice do you have anything to say for yourself? For all we know, you could have completely destroyed the whole merchant hierarchy you know?" I say while tapping the table impatiently waiting for the menu to arrive, "Though what you say is true, it's still rude to assume it was me, I suppose… and all I'd like to say is that he was very tasty…"

"Tasty? Wait, what are you, some kind of murdering cannibalizing beast or something?!"  
"Barusu, a spirit eating a man is not cannibalism, get your facts right"  
"That's not the point here! Aren't you going to comment on the 'tasty' part!?"

"Whether I comment or not on that doesn't change the fact that you spread misinformation, Barusu" Ugh, this woman's getting me sidetracked! Back on the topic at hand here, "What do you mean when you say he's tasty? Don't tell me you actually ate him now, a new fear would grow in me and I'd rather not like that happen…"

There is no room for misunderstanding, only two ways to eat for a spirit, literally consume your target or steal their mana, she can't do either of those so why? "Betty simply ripped out his Od while he was pinned down, I suppose" Scary! My partner is seriously scary! And cruel to add, weren't you supposed to be a young girl!?

"So the conclusion is, he's dead… I see, good to know"

Anastasia says as she takes a nib on her snack, looking to the corner of my eye, finally, the waiter took notice of me, took you a hell of a while don't you think? "My apologies sir, madam, miss, may I have your orders?" "I'll just have what she's having…" I say while pointing towards Anastasia, eating something that I haven't seen before.

"And for you madam, and miss?"

With me being done, he went on to ask Ram and Beatrice for their orders, they took some time to look into the menu before ordering, I guess they're pretty picky with what they eat, "Ya haven't seen a burger before?" "Nope, I usually snack on the cheap stuff, never been one to go to restaurants and the like"

"Really now? I was sure you'd be the type ta enjoy stuff like these, and if you're eating cheap stuff, are ya some sort of traveler or what?"  
"A traveler, yep that's what I was, raised in Kararagi and walked my way here on foot in search for new ideals, that's me alright"

"Kararagi? Then, as I expected, ya must be that guy who's been pretty popular a few years ago, 'Some lone wanderer, black haired and with eyes that pierce through yer soul' heard ya survived multiple near-death experiences, this true?"

Wait, I was popular?! I've not been notified of this at all, then again, what she said was true, "To be honest, near-death is an understatement, burning house, explosives, terrorist attack, and there were many more, I guess I'm just pretty darn stubborn when it comes to living" "A man of wonders you are, Subaru…" And a man of good looks you are Julius.

After a while, the waiter had returned to our table with our order and we decided to eat up, and oh was it good, I can see why Anastasia likes this, but it doesn't seem like Julius likes eat, he's eating a salad, I guess he doesn't like stuff made for the common folk, still, it tastes amazing.

"Subaru, I heard from Ferris that you're staying in the Karsten estate so he could monitor your near-crumbled gate, should you really be taking it easy?"

Near-crumbled? I know my gate was damaged but it's at a state where it could crumble! Damn that man cat, tell me the whole story would you! If I used magic at all, i'd have lost my ability to use it all together! "It should be alright, I have Beatrice after all, though, I don't exactly know how it works…"

"Betty can act as your gate, so you don't have to strain it any further you already have, I suppose, that's how it works…"

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, Beatrice" I say while shutting her mouth closed, "Hmph" And so, the day went on...

* * *

After a while we left the store and went on with our day, though regrettably nothing else had happened while we were going around, so we headed back to the estate with empty hands and full stomachs. And we did nothing for the most part of the afternoon, and when evening soon came, "A drink?" Crusch Karsten had called me while I was drying out my hair, having done a quick dip.

"Yes, Ferris doesn't drink and Wilhelm is busy, so if it isn't too much to ask, I'd like for you to be my drinking partner tonight"  
"Well if it's Crusch-san herself asking, then I have no reason to refuse now do I?"

To get to experience something like this may be a one time thing so I'll have to take up her offer. "Ah, I've been wondering for a while now, seeing someone as young as you being the head is quite new to me, is it just a Lugnican thing to do or is something else at play here?" "Hmm, it is true that the head of a household would usually be given their title when they've aged a little more than I have but my father saw that I am more fit for the role than he had been recently been and hastened the process"

"I see… so basically he retired early, am I right?"

"Phrasing it like that may not be the best way to say it, even after handing over the title to me, he still helps every way he can, advising me and watching me from a far sometimes, when I'd make mistakes, he'd be quick to resolve them and tell me how to avoid them next time. Perhaps he's just giving me the spotlight?"

"How nice, a child and her parent working together"

She brings me over to a balcony, a table and two chairs had already been set, I see some expensive stuff on that table, is it really okay to be treating me to this? "Have a seat now" And so I do, the chairs were fancy, and the view was amazing, man, living in the city really is something else, a sight you don't get to see in the mansion.

"So, is there anything you'd like to discuss at the moment? I was told that Roswaal has given you the lead for the negotiations on part of the Emilia camp"

"Yeah, we still got nothing yet, damn that Rossy, leaving me out of the meetings and then suddenly putting all the load on me, I'll be sure to get him back for this…"

Replying to my comment with a light chuckle, Crusch takes a sip from her glass and asks me, "Your relationship with the Mathers and Emilia is rather… 'chill' as Ferris would say. How long have you known each other?" How long huh, it's been a while that I forgot to count, "Probably around a month or so, me and Emilia first met right here in the Capital when she ran into trouble"

"Only that long? I would've thought you were life long friends were it not for your differing standings"

"Emilia-san and Roschi are pretty easy to get along with, I guess people just blindly assume they aren't because of their status, seriously, people need to be more open minded sometimes…"

"I understand and agree with every bit of what you said, status and fame and sometimes blind people to what's really inside, for example, I've been getting quite a lot of marriage proposals since the start of the royal election, it seems their all of greed so it's rather tedious and troublesome to shoot each of them down, sometimes, I even have Ferris do it for me when I'm busy"

She gets that much? Wow, they must really want to be beside the king then, well, it sounds a bit like a certain someone I know, "So here you were, I suppose…" Speaking of the devil, "Yo, Beatrice, yes I'm here, want a drink?" I say while waving my drinking glass towards her, she frowns heavily and replies, "Are you seriously asking a young girl to drink, I wonder?"

"Nope, just testing you is all, heh"  
"A wretched man is what you are, I suppose!"

She moved over towards us, it seemed she wanted to join in on the conversation, "Oh my apologies, I'll have a servant bring in one more" "That's not necessary, I suppose" She replies to her in quick succession as to not let her waste her energy, "Oh, what's this? You wanna sit on my lap Beatrice-chan?"

"Never in a million years, I suppose"  
"Ouch…"

Ignoring me, she walks over to the edge of the balcony and looks outside, a sparkle can be seen in her eyes, "Whatever could be looking at, it's quite an uneventful night no?" Crusch asked Beatrice, who didn't seem to hear at first, but replies shortly after, "Nothing in particular, I suppose, it's just a surprisingly nice view from up here"

"I know right? Ros-chi's place really is kinda lonely when you're comparing it to something like these"  
"Lonely you say? How many of there are you in the Mather's mansion?"

There are as many of us that I can count the number with my two hands, "Ros-chi, Emilia-san, Ram Nee-san, her sister Rem Nee, Beatrice, and me… oh, and Puck too, can't forget about that fluffy gray cat, so it totals up to seven of us…" Yes, just seven, it may not be a lot, wait no, now that I'm counting it, seven is a pretty big number isn't it?

"Just seven of you in the whole mansion? If there's only that many of you, then I feel bad for the maid and her sister, must be difficult to handle the mansion with just the two of them"

"Oh no, you don't need to show any sympathy for Ram, it's Rem that's doing all the work"  
'I can hear you Barusu…'  
"N-Nee-san!?"

"...?"

Crusch looks at me weirdly, was that all in my mind, is there an imaginary Nee-san in my head that's talking to me? "Something wrong, Natsuki Subaru?" No, it's most likely her Clairvoyance, yes, perhaps she's transmitting her thoughts or something like that, I'm not going crazy at all, "No, it's nothing, thought I heard Ram scoff at me from a distance"

"Really now? You must have good ears then" Sorry, I don't have such a superpower.

.

As the night went on, we kept on drinking and talking, I think I may have lost track of time, I also realize that Beatrice was starting to get tired, her eyes flickering, trying their best to stay open, "Beatrice, here, have a seat…" I stood up and dragged the chair for her, letting her sit down finally after standing for such a lengthy period of time.

"Nh…"

And in the next few moments, her head slides down to the railings and she's fast asleep, times like these, she really does look like an ordinary girl, "So, Crusch-san… I'm assuming you want to get down to the real business now?" Once I've said this, she narrowed down her eyes and stops drinking. She slowly settles down her glass on the table and crosses her arms, looking towards me seriously.

"Let's get straight to the point… how much do you know already?"

And straight to the point you went, darn her, I knew she'd somehow smooth it in, but I didn't think she'd just straight up as about it, I've got nothing prepared for such a direct approach, "Ah, I wonder how much I know myself…" "What have you seen?" To know and to see are different things, and as such, I'll answer it appropriately.

"I haven't seen anything that is any concern to you, but as for what I know, I've basically figured out your whole plot, there's no hiding it from me, Crusch-san…"

She gave me a look of careful deduction, is she doing something? Trying to see if I'm bluffing or not perhaps, "To gain as much standing within the alliance we're about to form, you plan on doing something big am I right? And this whole thing about you needing a 'little push' was just something to postpone it for a little longer isn't it?"

"I would have never thought you'd dig so deep, perhaps wisdom doesn't come with age but with experience"  
"That is usually how it goes now doesn't it? Anyway, if you're thinking that I'll be backing off you're mistaken"

Giving me a look of surprise, she questions me on that remark, "Only a fool would dare to continue after knowing all of this, yet you still insist on the alliance?" Of course, she may not know this but I'm pretty darn good when it comes to negotiations, "I like a challenge when I see one, I'll make sure that this alliance is formed, and by then, you won't be able to stand up where you'd like, so I'd be careful if i were you, heh"

Shooting her a slightly mocking smile, I went over to pick up Beatrice from her sleep, I could feel myself getting lightheaded by the minute, "Ugh, I think the alcohol is starting to kick in… well if you'd excuse us Crusch-san, I'll be tucking Beatrice into bed now, goodnight"

"A good night to you too… Natsuki Subaru…"

And with just a simple nod, I left her there, to contemplate on what had just occurred, a declaration of war perhaps? An invitation to battle? However she interprets it, she has to make her move soon or else she suffers the consequences, "Even after saying all that, you still have nothing to over her don't you, Barusu? If it were Ram, I'd have ended it then and there"

"So you were listening, Nee-san… Well, I knew you'd be watching from somewhere. To be honest, she caught me off guard there, and though it's true I don't have anything to offer yet, the time will come for it. If we can't do it now, we can just postpone alliance ourselves and prepare something, I'm sure she wouldn't want to give up the good deal we've given her with"

"Whatever you say, though if it all goes downhill, I'll be the one taking your head"  
"Nee-san sure is scary, isn't she? Well, it'll all work out in the end, I'll see to it…"

We split up after that, I princess carried Beatrice over to her bed and after pulling the sheets over her, I left for my own room, and after a few minutes of thinking, I fall asleep into the darkness of the night...

But then two days after…

Something happened...

" **BARUSU!"**

* * *

A/N

The past week, I've spent it rereading this story, and holy damn, I'm glad I made it the way I did. May sound self-centered but my goodness this story is a good read, never thought I'd actually get lost in reading something I made, I'm becoming a fan of my own writing now… is it really going to happen?! I remember the days when I wrote a chapter, I'd be nervous just before I upload the chapter, now I see myself in an ever so slightly better light. Is it a good sign? I don't know…

Haven't proofed this chapter properly, I hope you guys don't mind... also, I wanna give you a heads up, Pandora, Hector, those guys don't exist here for the sake of the plot and world I've built, also, some characters and their motivaions have been completely reworked, you'll notice it when we enter the next arc. (You can probably tell who it's gonna be already)

 **AMR-MNR**

 **Eeh, yeah, I'm here bud. As for Re: Shorts! It was a 'Knight' thing that I never really got to do. If I don't lump it in with the (oh god, it's been on Hiatus for over a year now?!) King, or Sword Saint (when I finally make a freaking chapter for THAT,) then I'd say go for it.**

Ah, 'Knight' it was a great story that I loved dearly, hope I'll be able to see it again one day, it went in so deep into the whole story and everyone got fleshed out extraordinarily…

 **KingsJ10**

 **Hmm, he goes from prodigy in yin magic to useless and in return, he gets one-trick pony spells... worst trade deal in history**

Perhaps it's the worst, but sometimes, you gotta just survive with you got, stay strong, Subaru...


End file.
